Girl name · Sanskrit
Nisha
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: the nightNisha is a girl's name that comes from Sanskrit and means "the night". It is used in Indian.
- Meaning
- The night
- Origin
- Sanskrit
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- NEE-shah
Meaning and origin of Nisha
As a girl's name, Nisha comes from Sanskrit and means "the night". It is used in Indian.
Say it NEE-shah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Nisha on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Nisha on 3 lists.
“The night; Sanskrit. A gentle, starlit choice from India”
From Gothic names, names that mean dark, night or raven
“Night; Sanskrit, soft and starry.”
From Indian names, indian names meaning light, sun and moon
“Night; Sanskrit. Say NEE-shah”
From Names that mean shadow, names that mean night
How popular is Nisha?
- US rank in 2025
- #8,216
- 13 babies, 8 per million girls
- Best rank
- #1,244 in 1984
- 104 babies that year
- Babies since 1961
- At least 2,994
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 3 per million |
| 1970s | 30 per million |
| 1980s | 49 per million |
| 1990s | 45 per million |
| 2000s | 28 per million |
| 2010s | 12 per million |
| 2020s | 10 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,144 | #8,658 | #8,042 | #6,946 | #7,476 | #8,853 | #5,759 | #9,437 | #6,097 | #8,216 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Nisha
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- NisaWomen (Arabic, girl)
- NachaPet form of Ignacia (Spanish, girl)
- NashwaElation (Arabic, girl)
- NestaMedieval Welsh pet form of Agnes (Greek, girl)
- NiaBright, radiant (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- NikaVictory (Greek, girl)
- NioushaGood listener (Persian, girl)
- NityaEternal, always (Sanskrit, girl)
- NohaMind, wisdom (Arabic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- LeilaNight, from Arabic layl (Arabic, girl)
- LaylaNight, from Arabic layl (Arabic, girl)
- AtienoBorn at night (Luo, girl)
- ChausikuBorn at night (Swahili, girl)
- EsraNight journey (Arabic, girl)
- IsraNight journey (Arabic, girl)
- LeylaNight, from Arabic layl (Arabic, girl)
- LilaVariant of Leila, night, or short form of Delilah (Arabic, girl)
- LilahVariant of Leila, night, or short form of Delilah (Arabic, girl)
- LilithOf the night, from Akkadian lilitu (Akkadian, girl)
Middle names for Nisha
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Sanskrit
- AryaNoble, honorable (Sanskrit, unisex)
- AadhyaFirst, primal (Sanskrit, girl)
- AarohiAscending, a rising musical scale (Sanskrit, girl)
- AbhaSplendor, light (Sanskrit, girl)
- AbhilashaDesire, wish (Sanskrit, girl)
- AditiBoundless, limitless (Sanskrit, girl)
- AishwaryaProsperity, power (Sanskrit, girl)
- AkankshaWish, aspiration (Sanskrit, girl)
- AmarjeetImmortal victory (Sanskrit, unisex)
- AmritImmortal, nectar (Sanskrit, unisex)
Nisha: common questions
What does the name Nisha mean?
Nisha comes from Sanskrit and means "the night".
Is Nisha a boy or girl name?
Nisha is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Nisha come from?
Nisha comes from Sanskrit and means "the night". Today it is used in Indian.
How do you pronounce Nisha?
Say NEE-shah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Nisha?
Nisha ranked #8,216 in the US in 2025, with 13 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Nisha?
Names spelled like Nisha include Nisa, Nacha, Nashwa, Nesta and Nia.
What middle names go with Nisha?
Middle names that flow well with Nisha include Aoife, Cosima, Estelle, Harmony and Heather. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.