Fun Facts About the Name Isha
- More than 5 thousand babies named Isha: U.S. records list 5,150 babies given the name Isha from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Isha Mean?
Isha has two main established origins. In Sanskrit, it comes from īśa (ईश), meaning 'lord,' 'master,' or 'ruler,' from the root īś, 'to own, possess, or rule.' The feminine form īśā (ईशा) can mean 'supremacy' or 'power,' and is used as an epithet of the goddess Durga. In Hindu tradition, īśa is a title for Shiva and for the supreme lord, and the Isha Upanishad takes its name from the word īśā in its opening line. Separately, in Arabic, ʿishāʾ (عشاء) means 'evening' or 'nightfall' and refers to the night prayer, one of the five daily prayers in Islam; as a given name in Muslim communities, Isha is often understood as 'night prayer.' The similar Hebrew word ishah (אִשָּׁה) means 'woman,' but it is a common noun rather than a traditional Hebrew personal name and is not the source of the Sanskrit or Arabic name.
Isha Name History & Origins
The Sanskrit word īśa appears in Vedic texts as a term for a ruler or lord. In the Isha Upanishad, one of the principal Upanishads, the opening line īśāvāsyam idam sarvam ('all this is pervaded by the Lord') uses the word in a philosophical sense. In India and Nepal, the word and its feminine form īśā are used as personal names; Isha is most often given to girls. The name also appears in South Asian Muslim communities through the Arabic word ʿishāʾ, the night prayer. That word entered Urdu and other South Asian languages through Islamic practice, and the name is used in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Because the Sanskrit and Arabic names sound alike in English, they are sometimes treated as one name, but they have separate origins and meanings.
How Popular is the Name Isha?
Isha has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #1,085 in 2002.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,276 | 176 | 0.0110% |
| 2024 | #1,202 | 196 | 0.0121% |
| 2023 | #1,160 | 209 | 0.0130% |
| 2022 | #1,356 | 172 | 0.0105% |
| 2021 | #1,753 | 117 | 0.0071% |
| 2020 | #1,554 | 136 | 0.0084% |
| 2019 | #1,375 | 164 | 0.0098% |
| 2018 | #1,602 | 134 | 0.0079% |
| 2017 | #1,614 | 134 | 0.0078% |
| 2016 | #1,644 | 132 | 0.0075% |
| 2015 | #1,687 | 126 | 0.0071% |
| 2014 | #1,583 | 136 | 0.0076% |
| 2013 | #1,534 | 143 | 0.0082% |
| 2012 | #1,584 | 137 | 0.0078% |
| 2011 | #1,321 | 178 | 0.0101% |
| 2010 | #1,485 | 152 | 0.0086% |
| 2009 | #1,361 | 175 | 0.0095% |
| 2008 | #1,483 | 158 | 0.0084% |
| 2007 | #1,628 | 137 | 0.0071% |
| 2006 | #1,727 | 121 | 0.0064% |
| 2005 | #1,371 | 158 | 0.0086% |
| 2004 | #1,316 | 162 | 0.0088% |
| 2003 | #1,255 | 167 | 0.0091% |
| 2002 | #1,085 | 196 | 0.0109% |
| 2001 | #1,098 | 193 | 0.0107% |
| 2000 | #1,635 | 108 | 0.0059% |
| 1999 | #2,233 | 67 | 0.0038% |
| 1998 | #2,292 | 62 | 0.0035% |
| 1997 | #2,530 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 1996 | #2,569 | 49 | 0.0028% |
| 1995 | #3,115 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 1994 | #2,639 | 47 | 0.0026% |
| 1993 | #2,581 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 1992 | #2,885 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 1991 | #2,803 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 1990 | #2,758 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 1989 | #2,540 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 1988 | #3,112 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1987 | #2,626 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1986 | #2,394 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 1985 | #2,114 | 50 | 0.0029% |
| 1984 | #2,944 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 1983 | #2,735 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 1982 | #2,785 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 1981 | #2,277 | 44 | 0.0026% |
| 1980 | #2,362 | 41 | 0.0025% |
| 1979 | #2,313 | 41 | 0.0026% |
| 1978 | #3,424 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1977 | #2,137 | 44 | 0.0029% |
| 1976 | #2,956 | 25 | 0.0017% |
| 1975 | #3,198 | 22 | 0.0015% |
| 1974 | #3,353 | 20 | 0.0014% |
| 1973 | #3,276 | 20 | 0.0014% |
| 1972 | #4,623 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1971 | #4,184 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1970 | #3,486 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1968 | #7,425 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #7,165 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #6,287 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #5,955 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Isha Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Isha's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Isha's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.