Nisean
A feminine name derived from the Greek word "nēsos" meaning island.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Nisean. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nisean today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nisean births was 2006 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nisean. 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 Nisean. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2006
5 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2006 SSA rank
#13,448
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Nisean: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nisean 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 Nisean during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nisean
The name Nisean has its origins in ancient Greek mythology and literature. It is believed to be derived from the name of the Nisean Plain, a fertile region near Megara in Greece. The plain was sacred to the goddess Demeter and was the setting for the abduction of her daughter Persephone by Hades, the god of the underworld.
The first recorded use of the name Nisean can be traced back to Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, which dates back to the 8th century BCE. In the poem, the Nisean Plain is mentioned as the place where the horses of King Agamemnon were bred. This association with the mythological horses of the region may have contributed to the name's popularity in ancient Greece.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Nisean was Nisean of Metapontum, a Greek philosopher who lived in the 5th century BCE. He was a follower of the Pythagorean school of thought and is credited with developing the concept of the gnomon, a geometrical figure used in the study of sundials and timekeeping.
In the 3rd century BCE, a Greek astronomer named Nisean of Samos made significant contributions to the study of celestial bodies. He is best known for his work on the motions of the moon and his observations of lunar eclipses, which helped refine the understanding of the lunar cycle.
During the Byzantine era, Nisean of Gaza was a renowned Christian writer and theologian who lived in the 5th century CE. He is remembered for his defense of the Christian faith against the pagan philosophers of his time and his contributions to the development of early Christian theology.
Another notable figure with the name Nisean was Nisean of Pergamon, a Greek physician who lived in the 2nd century CE. He was celebrated for his expertise in the field of ophthalmology and is credited with developing innovative surgical techniques for treating eye diseases.
Throughout history, the name Nisean has been associated with individuals from various fields, including philosophy, astronomy, theology, and medicine. While its use may have been more prevalent in ancient Greece and the Byzantine Empire, the name continues to hold significance as a reminder of the rich cultural and intellectual heritage of the region.
People
Nisean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nisean 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
Nisean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nisean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nisean 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 Nisean a common name?
We classify Nisean 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, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nisean most popular?
The single biggest year for Nisean was 2006, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nisean is about 20 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 Nisean in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nisean a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nisean 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 Nisean still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nisean 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 Nisean 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 Nisean?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.