Rushan
A masculine name of Persian origin meaning "bright" or "luminous".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Rushan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rushan today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rushan births was 2016 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rushan. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Rushan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rushan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2016
6 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#11,858
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Rushan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Rushan 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 Rushan 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 Rushan
The name Rushan has its origins in the Persian language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Persian word "roshan," which means "light" or "bright." The name is often associated with qualities such as radiance, enlightenment, and clarity.
In Persian literature and mythology, the name Rushan is sometimes used as a metaphor for knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual illumination. It is believed to have been popular among the ancient Persian nobility and intellectual elite.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rushan can be found in the writings of the renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi, who lived in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. In his epic poem, the Shahnameh (Book of Kings), Ferdowsi mentions a character named Rushan, though the details of this character are not widely known.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Rushan. One of the most famous was Rushan Ara Begum (1613-1681), a Mughal princess and the daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj Mahal. She was known for her intelligence, beauty, and patronage of the arts.
Another historical figure with the name Rushan was Rushan Khan (1648-1711), a Mughal nobleman and military commander who served under Emperor Aurangzeb. He was renowned for his bravery and strategic skills on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, Rushan Ali Khan (1835-1892) was a prominent Indian Muslim leader and reformer. He worked tirelessly to promote education and social reform within the Muslim community.
Rushan Idris (1939-1987) was a renowned Kurdish writer and intellectual from Iraq. He played a significant role in preserving and promoting Kurdish language and literature, and his works are widely studied and celebrated.
Another notable figure with the name Rushan was Rushan Ara Alvi (1942-2014), a Pakistani painter and artist. She was best known for her vibrant and colorful depictions of Pakistani culture and landscapes.
While the name Rushan has ancient roots in Persian culture, it has transcended borders and gained popularity in various regions and communities over the centuries. Its association with light, knowledge, and enlightenment has made it a revered and respected name across different cultures and traditions.
People
Rushan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rushan 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
Rushan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rushan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rushan 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 Rushan a common name?
We classify Rushan 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 Rushan most popular?
The single biggest year for Rushan was 2016, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rushan is about 10 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 Rushan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rushan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rushan 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 Rushan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rushan 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 Rushan 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 Rushan?
Find out how many Americans are named Rushan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.