Isaac

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 14 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Isaac is also recorded as 5 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• English given name1.5M records spelled Isaac98 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, Brazil, Australia, Nigeria

  Languages: English, German, Hindi

  Also written Isaäc, Isaak, Isa'Ac, Isa-Ac, Ισαάκ

• Akan given name595K records spelled Isaac4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, United States

  Languages: Akan, Swahili, Southern Sotho

  Also written Isa'Ac

• a separate given name40K records spelled Isaac6 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, Ecuador, India, United Kingdom

  Also written Isaäc, Isaác, Isáac, Isäac, Isaa͏̈c

• Indonesian given name10K records spelled Isaac4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Malaysia, United States, Indonesia, Nigeria

  Languages: Indonesian, Malay

  Also written Ïsaac, Isååc

• Lao given name7.8K records spelled Isaac24 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Laos, United States, Thailand, Nigeria

  Languages: Lao, Thai

  Also written Issac, Isac, ไอแซค, อิสอัค, ไอแซ็ค

120 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Isaac is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• A name of Hebrew origin meaning 'he will laugh', symbolizing the joy and laughter his birth brought to his aged parents.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• In Spanish, Hebrew Yishaq, 'he laughs' or 'laughter'; name linked to Abraham and Sarah's incredulous laughter.

  as a name·Diccionario etimológico de nombres propios

• In English, Hebrew name meaning 'he may laugh'; rare in Ireland, with recorded use in the Glinny family of Co. Down.

  as a name·Irish first names

• In English, from Hebrew Isaac, from a root meaning ‘laugh’; first attested Isac 1086 DB.

  as a name·A Dictionary of English Surnames

• In French, From Hebrew Yiṣḥaq, ‘he laughs / God has laughed’.

  as a name·Le grand guide des prénoms (Enfant - Education)

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

US SSA — National Baby Names (1880–present) — 146 years between 1880–2025. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Isaac the Syrianb. 640IREastern Orthodox saint
• Isaac Barrowb. 1630GBEnglish Christian theologian, and mathematician (1630-1677)
• Isaac Newtonb. 1642GBEnglish mathematician and physicist (1642–1727)
• Isaac Albénizb. 1860ESSpanish composer (1860-1909)
• Isidor Isaac Rabib. 1898USAmerican physicist (1898–1988)
• Isaac Bashevis Singerb. 1903USPolish-American writer (1904–1991)
• Isaac Asimovb. 1920USAmerican writer and biochemist (1920–1992)
• Isaac Hayesb. 1942USAmerican musician and actor (1942-2008)
• Isaac Herzogb. 1960ILPresident of Israel since 2021
• Yacouba Isaac Zidab. 1965BFBurkinabé military officer and politician

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 1,797 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Isaac?

We estimate roughly 420 thousand people bear Isaac (counting its spellings and scripts) across 10 countries in our records.

In which country does Isaac have the most bearers?

We estimate about 242 thousand people bear Isaac in the United States, more than in any other country in our records, where it is most often spelled isaac.

Where is Isaac most common?

Measured as a share of residents rather than as a count, Isaac is densest in Ecuador — about 1 in 635 people — even though United States holds more of our records for it.

How common is Isaac compared with other names?

In Costa Rica, Isaac is the 91st most common given name of 37,527 given names recorded there.

Is Isaac a male or female name?

Isaac is a male name in our records. Opposite-gender entries fall within the cross-gender noise we measure in the source data, so we don't report them as usage.

What does the name Isaac mean?

Recorded meaning: From Hebrew male personal name Yitschak, literally ‘he laughs’, probably with the sense ‘may God smile on him’.