Ishah
A feminine name derived from the Hebrew word meaning "woman" or "wife".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Ishah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ishah today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ishah births was 1985 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ishah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ishah with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ishah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1985
5 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
1996 SSA rank
#14,343
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Ishah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ishah from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ishah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ishah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ishah
The name Ishah originates from the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "isha," which means "woman" or "wife." This name carries a deep symbolic significance within the religious and cultural context of the Hebrew tradition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ishah can be found in the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible. In Genesis 2:23, Adam refers to his wife as "Isha" after she was created from his rib, saying, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'Isha,' for she was taken out of Ish (man)." This biblical reference establishes the name's association with the first woman, Eve, and highlights its connection to the creation narrative.
Throughout history, several notable women have carried the name Ishah or variations of it. One example is Ishah Bat Adino, a prominent Jewish scholar and poet from the 13th century CE, known for her contributions to the field of Hebrew literature. Another historical figure is Ishah Bat Avraham, a 16th-century Jewish mystic and scholar from Safed, Israel, who was renowned for her spiritual teachings and writings.
In the realm of literature, Ishah Bashevi is a notable figure from the 18th century, recognized as one of the first female Hebrew writers and poets. Her works explored themes of women's experiences and challenges within the Jewish community of her time.
Moving forward to the 20th century, Ishah Kuhlman was a German-American writer and journalist who gained recognition for her novels and short stories exploring themes of identity, relationships, and societal issues.
Lastly, Ishah Rahman is a contemporary American writer and activist known for her work on social justice, women's rights, and racial equality. Her writings shed light on the experiences of marginalized communities and advocate for positive change.
While the name Ishah has its roots in ancient Hebrew tradition, it has transcended cultural boundaries and been embraced by individuals from various backgrounds throughout history, each leaving their unique mark and contributing to the rich tapestry of human experience.
People
Ishah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ishah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ishah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ishah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ishah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Ishah a common name?
We classify Ishah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ishah most popular?
The single biggest year for Ishah was 1985, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ishah is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ishah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ishah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ishah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ishah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ishah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ishah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Ishah?
See how many people share the name Ishah on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.