Ishna
An Indian feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "wish" or "desire".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Ishna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ishna today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ishna births was 1977 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ishna. 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 Ishna. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1977
6 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
1977 SSA rank
#8,840
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Ishna: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ishna 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 Ishna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ishna
The name Ishna finds its origins in the Sanskrit language, an ancient Indo-Aryan tongue that flourished in the Indian subcontinent. Its roots can be traced back to the Vedic period, spanning from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "ishna," which means "desire" or "wish," suggesting a profound connection to aspirations and longing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ishna can be found in the Mahabharata, a legendary Sanskrit epic composed between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE. In this ancient text, Ishna is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a warrior who fought alongside the Pandavas in the great Kurukshetra war.
Throughout history, the name Ishna has been borne by several notable individuals. In the 6th century CE, Ishna was the name of a renowned scholar and philosopher from the Gupta Empire, who made significant contributions to the study of logic and metaphysics. His treatises on epistemology and the nature of reality were highly influential during that period.
In the 11th century, Ishna was the name of a celebrated poetess from the Chola dynasty in South India. Her poetic works, which explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality, were widely acclaimed and have been preserved in various anthologies.
Moving forward to the 16th century, Ishna was the name of a renowned Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher from the Mughal Empire. His teachings, which emphasized the importance of inner peace and the union of the soul with the divine, attracted followers from across the region.
Another notable figure with the name Ishna was a 19th-century Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary. Ishna played a pivotal role in the struggle against British colonial rule, organizing resistance movements and inspiring countless others to take up the cause of independence.
While the name Ishna has ancient roots and a rich historical tapestry, it has remained a relatively uncommon name in modern times. However, its connection to the Sanskrit language and the profound meanings associated with it have ensured its enduring presence in the cultural fabric of the Indian subcontinent.
People
Ishna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ishna 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
Ishna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ishna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ishna 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Ishna a common name?
We classify Ishna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Ishna most popular?
The single biggest year for Ishna was 1977, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ishna is about 54 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 Ishna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ishna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ishna 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.
Is Ishna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ishna 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 Ishna 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 Ishna?
Want to know how many Americans are named Ishna? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.