Ishir
A masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "the Supreme Being".
Name Census estimates that about 88 living Americans carry the first name Ishir. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ishir today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ishir births was 2022 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ishir. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ishir. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
88
~ 1 in 3,894,936 Americans
Peak year
2022
23 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,738
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Ishir: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ishir from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 79 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
Ishir 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 Ishir during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ishirs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Washington, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Ishir, while Texas, New Jersey, Washington recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ishir
The name Ishir is of Indian origin, believed to have its roots in Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Indian subcontinent. The earliest known records of the name date back to the Vedic period, around 1500-500 BCE, when it was used as a honorific title or epithet bestowed upon individuals exhibiting exceptional qualities or achievements.
One of the earliest known references to the name Ishir can be found in the Rigveda, one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism. In this ancient scripture, the name is associated with deities and revered sages, often describing them as "Ishir," meaning "lord" or "master."
As time progressed, the name Ishir transitioned from being a mere title to a personal name, carried by individuals from various walks of life. One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name was Ishir Bhatta, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and grammarian who lived in the 7th century CE. His contributions to the study of Sanskrit grammar and linguistics were seminal and continue to be widely referenced even today.
Another notable figure in history who bore the name Ishir was Ishir Gupta, a king of the Gupta Empire who ruled from 415 to 417 CE. His reign, though brief, was marked by his patronage of the arts and his efforts to promote cultural unity across his vast empire.
In the realm of literature, Ishir Acharya, a 12th-century Sanskrit poet and playwright, left an indelible mark with his celebrated works, including the play "Ishir-Nandini," which explored themes of love, devotion, and spirituality.
The name Ishir also found its way into the world of music, with Ishir Khan, a renowned Hindustani classical vocalist and courtesan who graced the courts of the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. Her extraordinary vocal abilities and mastery of the intricate ragas earned her acclaim and admiration throughout the region.
In more recent times, Ishir Bhan, an Indian freedom fighter and political activist, played a pivotal role in the struggle for India's independence from British rule in the early 20th century. His unwavering commitment to the cause and his charismatic leadership inspired countless individuals to join the movement.
These are just a few of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Ishir throughout history, each leaving an indelible mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human civilization.
People
Ishir + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ishir 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
Ishir: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ishir?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 88 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ishir 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 3,894,936 US residents.
Is Ishir a common name?
We classify Ishir as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 89 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ishir most popular?
The single biggest year for Ishir was 2022, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ishir is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ishir a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ishir 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.
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.