Ishar
A Hindu masculine name from Sanskrit meaning ruler or lord.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Ishar. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ishar today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ishar births was 2019 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ishar. 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 Ishar with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ishar. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2019
6 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#11,298
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Ishar: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ishar 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 Ishar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ishar
The name Ishar has its origins in ancient Sanskrit, one of the oldest Indo-Aryan languages of the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Ishvara," which means "Lord" or "Supreme Being." This name is closely associated with Hindu mythology and religious texts.
In the Rigveda, one of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, Ishar is mentioned as a name for the supreme deity, often associated with the god Indra or Shiva. The name was also used in the Upanishads, a collection of philosophical and spiritual texts that form the foundation of Hindu thought.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ishar dates back to the 6th century BCE, when it was mentioned in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. In this epic, Ishar was the name of a sage who imparted wisdom and guidance to the Pandava princes.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ishar. One of the most famous was Ishar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891), a Bengali polymath and a key figure in the Bengali Renaissance. He was a renowned scholar, educator, and social reformer who played a pivotal role in the movement to abolish the practice of Sati (widow burning) in India.
Another prominent figure was Ishar Singh Majithia (1882-1963), a Punjabi politician and freedom fighter who played an active role in India's struggle for independence from British rule. He served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and was instrumental in shaping the country's constitution.
In the realm of literature, Ishar Kapur (1912-1994) was a celebrated Punjabi writer, poet, and playwright. His works, such as "Andhera Natak" and "Saakhi Saroor Naal," explored themes of social injustice, human relationships, and the complexities of modern life.
In the field of music, Ishar Jalil (1933-2017) was a prominent Bangladeshi lyricist and composer. He wrote numerous songs that became popular across South Asia, and his contributions to the cultural heritage of Bangladesh earned him the prestigious Ekushey Padak, one of the highest civilian honors in the country.
Ishar Kaushik (1954-2022) was an Indian film actor and playwright who made significant contributions to the Hindi theatre and cinema. He is best known for his performances in acclaimed plays like "Andha Yug" and films such as "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak" and "Dil Se."
People
Ishar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ishar 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
Ishar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ishar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ishar 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Ishar a common name?
We classify Ishar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ishar most popular?
The single biggest year for Ishar was 2019, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ishar is about 7 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 Ishar in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ishar a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ishar in the SSA data are male. 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 Ishar still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ishar 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 Ishar 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 people have Ishar as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Ishar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.