| Ishan | Om | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The sun; ruler; a name of Shiva | The sacred syllable |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | ee-SHAHN | OHM |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1983 |
| Peak year | 2009 (148) | 2008 (153) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 66 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ishan | Om |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 476 | 411 |
| 2010s | 1,048 | 920 |
| 2000s | 978 | 968 |
| 1990s | 212 | 17 |
| 1980s | 23 | 5 |
From the Sanskrit ईशान (īśāna), 'ruler, master'. It is an epithet of the god Shiva, also denotes the sun and the north-eastern quarter (one of the dikpalas). A genuine, well-attested Vedic/classical term.
From Sanskrit Om (ॐ), the sacred primordial sound and mantra regarded in Hindu tradition as the essence of the universe. Used as a name it carries that whole spiritual weight.
Om is more popular than Ishan today: about 66 US babies were given the name Om in 2025, compared with 0 named Ishan.
Ishan means The sun; ruler; a name of Shiva (sanskrit origin), while Om means The sacred syllable (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Ishan first appears in 0 and Om in 1983, so Ishan has the longer recorded history.