Ishan comes from the Sanskrit Ishana, meaning "lord" or "ruler", one of the names of the god Shiva, and it also denotes the northeast direction in Hindu tradition. It is a popular modern name in India, where the spelling Ishaan is just as common. In the United States Ishan ranked number 1646 in 2000, peaked at number 1214 in 2009 and has eased to number 1877 in 2025, with 84 boys given the name.