Ishana
Originated as a Sanskrit name with the meaning "ruler of the universe".
Name Census estimates that about 391 living Americans carry the first name Ishana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ishana today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ishana births was 2010 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ishana. 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.
People living today
391
~ 1 in 876,610 Americans
Peak year
2010
27 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,032
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Ishana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ishana from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 211 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ishana 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 Ishana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ishanas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ishana
The name Ishana has its roots in the ancient Sanskrit language of India. It is believed to have originated sometime around the 5th century BCE, during the Vedic period of Indian history.
Ishana is a combination of two Sanskrit words: "ish" meaning "lord" or "master," and "ana" meaning "breath" or "life force." Therefore, the name can be interpreted as "the lord of life" or "the master of the life force."
In Hindu mythology, Ishana is one of the names used to refer to the powerful god Shiva, who is revered as the supreme deity and the source of all creation, destruction, and renewal. The name is mentioned in several ancient Hindu scriptures, including the Upanishads and the Puranas.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Ishana can be found in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, a philosophical text dating back to around the 5th century BCE. In this text, Ishana is described as the ultimate reality, the source of all existence, and the embodiment of consciousness.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Ishana. One of the most famous was Ishana Narayana, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and philosopher who lived in the 9th century CE. He was known for his commentaries on various Hindu scriptures and his contributions to the field of Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
Another notable figure was Ishana Devi, a prominent female mystic and saint from the 16th century CE. She was revered for her spiritual teachings and her devotion to the goddess Kali. Her life and teachings were documented in the hagiographic work "Ishana Mangala."
In the realm of literature, Ishana Dutta was a celebrated Bengali poet and playwright who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works, which often explored themes of social reform and cultural identity, had a significant impact on the Bengali literary renaissance.
Moving to more recent times, Ishana Munindra was a renowned Indian musician and exponent of the Hindustani classical music tradition. Born in 1923, he was widely acclaimed for his mastery of the sitar and his innovative approach to music.
Finally, Ishana Arora is a contemporary Indian author and screenwriter, known for her critically acclaimed novels and her work in the Indian film industry. Born in 1982, she has received numerous awards and accolades for her literary contributions.
People
Ishana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ishana 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
Ishana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ishana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 391 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ishana 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 876,610 US residents.
Is Ishana a common name?
We classify Ishana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 395 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ishana most popular?
The single biggest year for Ishana was 2010, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ishana is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ishana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ishana 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.
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.