Entry № 1301 · Pali origin

Kisa Kisa — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ KEE-sah /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Pali
Meaning
"Mustard seed parable nun (Kisa Gotami)"
Syllables
2
Rank · US 2025
№ 0
First recorded
Ancient (Pali)

A name that means "mustard seed parable nun (kisa gotami)".

Kisa (Pali: "thin"). **Kisa Gotami** was the Buddhist nun central to one of the most famous parables in Buddhism. **When her young child died, she carried his body across the city begging anyone for medicine to revive him.** The Buddha told her he would help if she brought him a mustard seed from any house that had never known death. **Going house to house, she found none — and so understood the universality of suffering.** She returned, buried her son, and joined the Sangha.

**Among the most beloved figures of early Buddhism.**

The mustard seed nun. Sought to revive her dead son until she understood death's universality.

The name in its native script.

किसा गोतमी
Transliteration
Kisā Gotamī
Pronunciation
/ ˈkiː.sə /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Kisa stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 0 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 0 in 0
Babies named Kisa · last year
87 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
0
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · — NOW · —

Kisas before her.

Real people
Kisa Gotami
Buddhist arhat-nun.
5th c. BCE
In fiction
Kisa
Therigatha.

Names connected to Kisa.

The number behind Kisa.

3

The Communicator

Kisa reduces to three — the number of mustard seed parable.

Why families chose this name.

"Mustard seed nun. Four letters. Kisa."
Sopheap · Mother of one · Savatthi