NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Nishka

Indian feminine name meaning "night" or "darkness".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Nishka is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Nishka popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 15 births.

This profile covers 115 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2002 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 20% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 114 living people in the UK are called Nishka. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Nishka ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2010, when 15 girls were registered as Nishka.
  • About 114 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nishka as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5891

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

2010

15 births

Estimated living

114

2026

Meaning

What does Nishka mean?

The name Nishka has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "nishka," which means "a gold ornament or necklace." This suggests that the name Nishka may have been associated with beauty, wealth, or adornment in its earliest usage.

In ancient Hindu texts, such as the Vedas and Puranas, there are references to the term "nishka" in the context of ornaments and precious objects. However, there is no specific mention of the name Nishka being used as a personal name during those times. The earliest recorded instances of the name Nishka being used as a given name seem to date back to the medieval period in India.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the name Nishka was a Hindu poet and scholar who lived in the 12th century CE. Nishka Bhatta was a renowned scholar of Sanskrit grammar and linguistics, and he authored several works on subjects like poetry, rhetoric, and language.

Another notable figure with the name Nishka was Nishka Devi, a Hindu queen who ruled over the Chahamana dynasty in the present-day state of Rajasthan, India, during the 13th century CE. She was known for her patronage of art, architecture, and literature, and her reign was marked by significant cultural contributions.

In the 16th century, there was a prominent Hindu philosopher and spiritual teacher named Nishka Shastri, who authored several texts on Vedanta philosophy and was revered for his wisdom and teachings.

Moving forward in history, in the 19th century, there was a Sanskrit scholar and linguist named Nishka Chandra Chatterjee, who made significant contributions to the study and preservation of ancient Indian texts and languages.

More recently, in the 20th century, Nishka Lulla was a renowned Indian fashion designer and costume stylist, known for her work in Bollywood films and her contribution to the Indian fashion industry.

While the name Nishka has its roots in Sanskrit and ancient Indian culture, it has transcended linguistic and cultural boundaries and has been adopted by people across various regions and ethnicities, particularly in the Indian subcontinent and among communities influenced by Indian culture and traditions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Nishka over time

The chart below shows babies named Nishka registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Nishka, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 15 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Nishka
0481115200220132024

Decades

Nishka by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nishka was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4926 8 2
2010s #3482 73 10
2000s #3644 34 6

Related

Names similar to Nishka

FAQ

Nishka: questions and answers

How popular is the name Nishka in the UK right now?

In 2024, Nishka was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Nishka most popular?

The peak year on record was 2010, with 15 babies registered as Nishka in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Nishka?

Indian feminine name meaning "night" or "darkness".

How many people are called Nishka in the UK?

A total of 115 babies have been registered as Nishka across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.