| Rudra | Ishan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The roarer (Shiva) | The sun; ruler; a name of Shiva |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | RUD-ruh | ee-SHAHN |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 2000 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2025 (152) | 2009 (148) |
| In 2025 | 152 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Rudra | Ishan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 725 | 476 |
| 2010s | 779 | 1,048 |
| 2000s | 259 | 978 |
| 1990s | 0 | 212 |
| 1980s | 0 | 23 |
From Sanskrit rudra (रुद्र), the fierce Vedic storm deity whose name is traditionally derived from a root meaning 'to roar/cry'; it is a well-known epithet of Shiva. A divine name with connotations of awe-inspiring power.
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.
Rudra is more popular than Ishan today: about 152 US babies were given the name Rudra in 2025, compared with 0 named Ishan.
Rudra means The roarer (Shiva) (sanskrit origin), while Ishan means The sun; ruler; a name of Shiva (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Rudra first appears in 2000 and Ishan in 0, so Ishan has the longer recorded history.