Kushana
A Hindu feminine name related to Kushan, an ancient Indian empire.
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Kushana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kushana today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kushana births was 1978 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kushana. 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 Kushana. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
1978
23 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
1978 SSA rank
#3,333
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Kushana: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kushana 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 Kushana 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 | 23 | 23 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kushana
The name Kushana is believed to have its origins in ancient India, derived from the Sanskrit word "kushala," which means "skilled" or "adept." It is thought to be associated with the Kushana Empire, a powerful ancient Iranian dynasty that ruled over parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northwestern India from the 1st to the 3rd century CE.
The Kushana Empire was founded by the Yuezhi, a nomadic people who migrated from the steppes of Central Asia and eventually settled in the region of Bactria (modern-day northern Afghanistan and parts of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan). The dynasty's most prominent ruler was Kanishka I, who reigned from around 127 to 151 CE and presided over the empire's golden age, during which time Buddhism flourished and trade along the Silk Road reached its peak.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kushana can be found in ancient Indian texts, particularly those related to Buddhist literature and inscriptions from the Kushana period. The name is often associated with the patronage of Buddhism during the reign of Kanishka I, who is credited with convening the Fourth Buddhist Council and promoting the spread of Mahayana Buddhism throughout the region.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Kushana, including:
1. Kushana (early 2nd century CE), a Kushana prince and son of Kanishka I, who is mentioned in ancient inscriptions and Buddhist texts.
2. Kushana Nandi (fl. 5th century CE), an Indian scholar and grammarian who wrote the influential work "Anekarthasamgraha," a lexicon of synonyms.
3. Kushana Mahayana (fl. 7th century CE), a Buddhist monk and scholar from the Kushana region who is credited with introducing Buddhism to Tibet.
4. Kushana Devi (1916-1986), an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who helped revive and promote the Odissi dance form.
5. Kushana Bush (born 1983), an Australian singer-songwriter and actress, known for her work in musicals and television.
While the name Kushana has its roots in ancient India and the Kushana Empire, it has transcended its historical origins and continues to be used as a given name in various parts of the world, particularly in South Asia and among communities with cultural ties to the region.
People
Kushana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kushana as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kushana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kushana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kushana 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 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Kushana a common name?
We classify Kushana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 23 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kushana most popular?
The single biggest year for Kushana was 1978, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kushana is about 48 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 Kushana in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kushana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kushana 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 Kushana still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kushana 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 Kushana 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 the name Kushana?
See how many Americans are named Kushana on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.