Nishaad
A traditionally masculine name of Indian origin meaning "night" or "darkness".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Nishaad. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nishaad today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nishaad births was 2019 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nishaad. 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 Nishaad. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2019
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,549
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Nishaad: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nishaad 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 Nishaad 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nishaad
The name Nishaad is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. The name can be traced back to the early centuries of the common era, and is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "nishada," which means "hunter" or "one who lives in the forest."
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Rigveda and the Mahabharata, the term "nishada" was often used to refer to a group of people who lived in the forests and made a living by hunting and gathering. These people were considered to be of a lower caste or social status in the traditional Hindu caste system.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Nishaad can be found in the epic poem Ramayana, which is believed to have been composed around the 5th century BCE. In the Ramayana, there is a character named Nishaad who is a boatman and a guide for the protagonist, Rama, during his journey through the forest.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Nishaad. One of the earliest was Nishaad Khan, a Mughal-era poet and scholar who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his works in Persian and Arabic literature.
Another notable figure was Nishaad Ahmad, a prominent Indian musician and composer who lived in the 19th century. He was a master of the sitar and contributed significantly to the development of Hindustani classical music.
In the 20th century, Nishaad Ahmad Faruqui was a renowned Pakistani writer and critic who made significant contributions to Urdu literature. He was born in 1903 and died in 1969.
Nishaad Navab was an influential Pakistani politician and diplomat who served as the country's Foreign Secretary from 1982 to 1986. He played a crucial role in shaping Pakistan's foreign policy during a turbulent period in the region.
More recently, Nishaad Ittycheria is an Indian actor and model who has appeared in several Bollywood films and television shows. He was born in 1983 and continues to work in the entertainment industry.
While these are just a few examples, the name Nishaad has been used across various cultures and regions throughout history, reflecting its ancient roots and the diverse backgrounds of those who have borne this name.
People
Nishaad + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nishaad 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
Nishaad: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nishaad?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nishaad 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 Nishaad a common name?
We classify Nishaad 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 Nishaad most popular?
The single biggest year for Nishaad was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nishaad is about 7 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 Nishaad in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nishaad a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nishaad 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 Nishaad still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nishaad 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 Nishaad 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 are named Nishaad?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.