Rishan
A masculine name of Indian origin meaning "great devotee".
Name Census estimates that about 429 living Americans carry the first name Rishan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rishan today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rishan births was 2019 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rishan. 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.
People living today
429
~ 1 in 798,961 Americans
Peak year
2019
39 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,571
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Rishan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rishan from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 249 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rishan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rishan 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 Rishan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rishans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Rishan, while Texas, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 25 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rishan
The name Rishan has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was spoken in India and other parts of South Asia. The name is believed to have emerged around the 5th century BCE, during the Vedic period of Indian history. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "rishi," which means "sage" or "seer." The name Rishan was likely given to individuals who were respected for their wisdom and spiritual enlightenment.
In Hindu mythology, the Rishis were revered as the ancient sages and seers who received and transmitted the sacred knowledge contained in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. The name Rishan may have been used to honor these wise and enlightened beings or to bestow their qualities upon the bearer of the name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rishan can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. It mentions a character named Rishan, who was a sage and adviser to the Pandava princes. This reference dates back to around the 4th century BCE, indicating the antiquity of the name.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Rishan. Rishan Bharadwaj, who lived in the 7th century CE, was a renowned scholar and philosopher from ancient India. He was known for his teachings on logic, metaphysics, and the nature of reality.
Another prominent individual with the name Rishan was Rishan Khan, a 16th-century Mughal military commander who served under the emperors Akbar and Jahangir. He was renowned for his bravery and strategic skills on the battlefield.
In the realm of literature, Rishan Khatri was a 17th-century Punjabi poet and mystic who wrote extensively on spiritual themes and the pursuit of divine love. His works continue to be celebrated and studied to this day.
During the 18th century, Rishan Singh was a prominent leader of the Sikh military order, known as the Khalsa. He played a crucial role in the resistance against the Afghan invaders and the defense of the Sikh homeland in Punjab.
In more recent times, Rishan Singh Bedi was a distinguished Indian diplomat and author who served as India's Ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union, in the mid-20th century.
While the name Rishan has its roots in ancient India, it has transcended cultural and geographical boundaries, with bearers of this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
People
Rishan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rishan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rishan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rishan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 429 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rishan 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 798,961 US residents.
Is Rishan a common name?
We classify Rishan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 432 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rishan most popular?
The single biggest year for Rishan was 2019, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rishan is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rishan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rishan 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.
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.