Nijash
An Arabic name meaning "king" or "with exalted spirit".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Nijash. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nijash today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nijash births was 2011 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nijash. 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 Nijash. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2011
6 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2011 SSA rank
#11,853
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Nijash: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nijash 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 Nijash 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 Nijash
Nijash is a name with its origins rooted in the ancient Persian language, tracing back to the Achaemenid Empire of antiquity, which ruled over the territories of modern-day Iran, Iraq, Syria, and parts of Central Asia between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. The name is derived from the Old Persian word "nijashta," meaning "noble" or "well-born," reflecting the cultural emphasis on social status and lineage during that era.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Nijash can be found in the Behistun Inscription, a monumental rock relief and inscribed account of the reign of the Achaemenid king Darius the Great (550-486 BCE). The inscription, carved in three languages (Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian), details Darius's suppression of revolts and lists the names of various noblemen and officials who remained loyal to him, including individuals bearing the name Nijash.
Throughout the centuries, the name Nijash has been borne by several notable figures in Persian history and literature. One such individual was Nijash al-Khorasani (b. 948 CE - d. 1035 CE), a renowned poet and scholar from the city of Nishapur, known for his mastery of the Persian poetic form of ghazal. His works, which often celebrated love, wine, and the beauty of nature, have been praised for their eloquence and lyrical quality.
Another notable bearer of the name was Nijash al-Din Mahmud Shah (b. 1368 CE - d. 1411 CE), the Sultan of the Timurid Empire, which ruled over parts of modern-day Iran, Central Asia, and South Asia. Mahmud Shah was known for his patronage of the arts and literature, and his reign witnessed the construction of several architectural marvels, including the renowned Mosque of Bibi Khanum in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
In more recent history, Nijash Ali Khan (b. 1830 CE - d. 1892 CE) was a prominent statesman and diplomat from the Indian subcontinent, serving as the Prime Minister of the Princely State of Hyderabad during the latter half of the 19th century. His diplomatic skills and political acumen earned him respect and recognition from both the British colonial authorities and the local rulers.
Another notable figure was Nijash Reza Pahlavi (b. 1919 CE - d. 1980 CE), who served as the last Shah of Iran before the Iranian Revolution of 1979. While his reign was marked by modernization efforts and economic growth, it was also characterized by political repression and human rights violations, ultimately leading to his overthrow and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
People
Nijash + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nijash as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nijash: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nijash?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nijash 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 Nijash a common name?
We classify Nijash 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 Nijash most popular?
The single biggest year for Nijash was 2011, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nijash is about 15 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 Nijash in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nijash a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nijash 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 Nijash still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nijash 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 Nijash 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 common is the name Nijash?
See how many Americans are named Nijash on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.