Ishman
A masculine name derived from the Hebrew name "Ishmael", meaning "God will hear".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Ishman. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ishman today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ishman births was 1980 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ishman. 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 Ishman. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1980
6 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1980 SSA rank
#5,827
Tracked since 1939
Popularity
Ishman: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ishman from the 1930s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 6 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
Ishman 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 Ishman 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 Ishman
The name Ishman is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language of India, dating back to around the 2nd century BCE. It is derived from the root word "ishman," which means "a master" or "a leader." The name was initially used to refer to spiritual leaders or teachers in Hindu communities.
In early Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Upanishads and the Vedas, there are references to individuals with the name Ishman or variations of it. These individuals were often revered as wise sages or gurus, known for their profound knowledge and teachings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ishman can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. In this epic, there is a character named Ishman who is described as a skilled archer and warrior, renowned for his bravery and valor on the battlefield.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Ishman. One such figure was Ishman Acharya (1050-1125 CE), a renowned Hindu philosopher and scholar from the Advaita Vedanta tradition. He wrote extensively on the concept of non-dualism and was highly influential in the development of Hindu metaphysical thought.
Another prominent Ishman was Ishman Khan (1516-1567), a military commander and general under the Mughal Empire in India. He played a crucial role in several military campaigns and was known for his strategic brilliance and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 18th century, there was Ishman Bhai (1720-1789), a prominent Sikh scholar and poet from the Punjab region of India. He authored several spiritual works and was highly respected for his devotional poetry and teachings.
Moving forward, one notable Ishman was Ishman Prasad (1885-1962), an Indian philosopher and educator who made significant contributions to the field of Indian logic and epistemology. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of Allahabad University and was widely recognized for his academic achievements.
It is important to note that while the name Ishman has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Hindu traditions, it has also been adopted and used by various other cultures and communities across different regions of the world, often with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation.
People
Ishman + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ishman 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
Ishman: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ishman?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ishman 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Ishman a common name?
We classify Ishman as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ishman most popular?
The single biggest year for Ishman was 1980, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ishman is about 59 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 Ishman in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ishman a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ishman 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 Ishman still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ishman 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 Ishman 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 share the name Ishman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.