Fun Facts About the Name Nisan
- 26 babies named Nisan: U.S. records list 26 babies given the name Nisan from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Nisan Mean?
Nisan is the name of the first month of the Hebrew religious calendar, and the given name is taken from that month. The month name comes from Akkadian nisānu (Babylonian nisannu), the spring month of the Babylonian calendar that Hebrew speakers adopted during and after the Babylonian exile. The literal sense of the Akkadian word is not known for certain.
A long-standing Hebrew explanation connects Nisan with the Hebrew noun nitsan (נִצָּן), meaning "bud" or "blossom," used in Song of Songs 2:12. This is a wordplay on similar sounds, and it may not be the true derivation, so the "blossom" meaning often given to the name is best described as a traditional association rather than a settled etymology. A separate symbolic reading links the name to nissim, "miracles," because Passover falls in this month; that too is interpretation, not etymology.
Nisan Name History & Origins
The Hebrew month name Nisan (נִיסָן) was borrowed from Akkadian nisānu, the first month of the Babylonian year, which began in spring and was the month of the Babylonian New Year festival, akitu. In the Torah the same month is called Aviv ("spring," or "green ears of grain"), as in Exodus 13:4 and Deuteronomy 16:1. The name Nisan appears in biblical books from the post-exilic period, for example Nehemiah 2:1 and Esther 3:7, and it kept its place as the first month of the religious year even after the civil new year came to be observed in Tishrei. On the Gregorian calendar it falls in March or April.
From Hebrew the word passed into Aramaic and Syriac as nīsān, and from Syriac into Arabic, where it is still the name for April in Levantine and Iraqi usage. Turkish borrowed it as nisan, also meaning "April," and in Turkey Nisan is used as a personal name understood simply as the month. In Hebrew-speaking communities it is given as a name taken from the month, alongside the related form Nissan.
The Japanese word nisan (兄さん), meaning "older brother," is unrelated, as is the carmaker Nissan, whose name is a business abbreviation.
How Popular is the Name Nisan?
Nisan 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 #8,721 in 2023.
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 | #13,342 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #8,721 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #10,546 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #9,833 | 5 | 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 Nisan Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Nisan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nisan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.