Ishani
An Indian feminine given name meaning "princess" or "mistress" in Sanskrit.
Name Census estimates that about 1,169 living Americans carry the first name Ishani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ishani today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ishani births was 2014 (66 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ishani. 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.
Key insights
- • Ishani is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 14 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 293,203 Americans
Peak year
2014
66 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,126
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Ishani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ishani from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 510 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ishani remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ishani 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 Ishani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ishanis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Texas recorded the most babies named Ishani, while Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 37 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ishani
The name Ishani has its origins in the Sanskrit language, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the foundational language of the Indian subcontinent. Derived from the Sanskrit word "Isha," meaning lord or ruler, and the suffix "ani," denoting a feminine form, Ishani can be interpreted as "one who governs" or "one who rules." This name finds its earliest mentions in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, often associated with divine feminine energy or the personification of nature's elements.
In the Vedic tradition, Ishani is referred to as a goddess or divine entity, representing the power of rain, fertility, and nourishment. The name is closely tied to the concept of the divine feminine, embodying strength, nurturing, and the cycle of life. Additionally, some texts mention Ishani as an epithet for the goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva, highlighting her role as the embodiment of divine grace and power.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ishani can be found in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, dated between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE. In the epic, Ishani is mentioned as the name of a powerful celestial nymph, revered for her beauty and divine qualities.
Throughout history, the name Ishani has been borne by several notable individuals, including:
1. Ishani Ghose (born 1935), an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, renowned for her contributions to the Manipuri dance form.
2. Ishani Banerjee (born 1967), an Indian classical vocalist and exponent of the Patiala Gharana, known for her mellifluous renditions of Hindustani classical music.
3. Ishani Sharan (born 1986), an Indian actress and model, who has appeared in various Bollywood films and television series.
4. Ishani Sarkar (born 1988), an Indian cricketer who has played for the national women's cricket team and has captained the Bengal women's cricket team.
5. Ishani Yadav (born 1993), an Indian archer who has won multiple medals at international competitions, including the Asian Games and World Cup events.
These individuals, hailing from diverse fields such as dance, music, acting, sports, and more, have carried the name Ishani with grace and distinction, adding to its rich legacy and cultural significance.
People
Ishani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ishani 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
Ishani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ishani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,169 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ishani 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 293,203 US residents.
Is Ishani a common name?
We classify Ishani as "Rare". It ranks above 91.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,182 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ishani most popular?
The single biggest year for Ishani was 2014, when 66 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ishani is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ishani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ishani 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.