Boy · Sanskrit · Hindu
Ishaan
ईशानSay it ee-SHAAN
- Meaning today
- Sun, lord shiva, north-east
- Original meaning
- "ruler, master; one of the older names of Shiva" Monier-Williams, p. 171
- Say it
- ee-SHAAN
- Written
- ईशान
- Other spellings
- Ishan, Eshaan, Eeshan
- First sound
- ई · Vrishabh rashi
Ishaan
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Ishaan meaning
Ishaan (ईशान) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin. By its first sound, ई, it is a Vrishabh rashi name (Krittika nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
Ruler, master; one of the older names of Shiva
Also used to mean: sun, lord shiva, north-east
Ishaan (ईशान) is Sanskrit īśāna, an adjective meaning owning, possessing and reigning. As a noun Monier-Williams gives 'a ruler, master' and calls it one of the older names of Śiva-Rudra, used from the Atharvaveda onwards. The same entry lists Īśāna as one of the Rudras, as the sun regarded as a form of Śiva, and as a name of Viṣṇu, so the popular meaning 'sun' has a real dictionary basis. The related adjective aiśāna means 'belonging to Śiva's quarter', that is, the north-east, which explains the direction sense found on many name lists. As a neuter noun īśāna can also mean light or splendour. Ishan and Eshaan are alternative spellings.
In Hindu tradition this is a name of Shiva.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 171 · entry īśāna · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, īśāna, p. 171 · Monier-Williams, aiśāna and aiśānī, p. 234
Popularity abroad
- #895 United States, boys 2025 (up 104 from 999 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #487 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Fits your syllable
First sound ई
Krittika nakshatra, pada 2 · Vrishabh rashi
North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Ishaan · Ishan · Eshaan · Eeshan