Isaac
Meaninghe will laugh · Hebrew
- US rank
- #47
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #28 in 2013
5,953 babies were named Isaac in the US in 2025. It has dropped 8 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Isaac you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Isaac
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Polish-American writer (1904–1991)
Choose Isaac and your child shares a first name with Isaac Bashevis Singer, a Polish-American writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Isaac, like who?” Isaac Bashevis Singer's Wikipedia article is available in 113 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Isaac Bashevis Singer on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Israel Press and Photo Agency (I.P.P.A.) photographer, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 287 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Isaac, 5,953 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Isaac.
- HistoryIsaac has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Isaacs, and counting.
- Best yearIts best year was 2013, when it reached #28.
- Where it's lovedIsaac is most popular in Maryland, where it ranks #17, followed by Washington, D.C. (#22) and Massachusetts (#26). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Hebrew, Isaac means “he will laugh”.
About the name Isaac
Isaac is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “he will laugh”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with I and ending in “-aac”. US birth records list Isaac for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked #28 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #47, with 5,953 babies.
Origin:Hebrew names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,114 | 473 boys |
| 1890s | 1,521 | 657 boys |
| 1900s | 1,206 | 829 boys |
| 1910s | 815 | 1,227 boys |
| 1920s | 595 | 1,681 boys |
| 1930s | 447 | 2,239 boys |
| 1940s | 344 | 2,910 boys |
| 1950s | 272 | 3,674 boys |
| 1960s | 240 | 4,172 boys |
| 1970s | 639 | 1,566 boys |
| 1980s | 994 | 1,006 boys |
| 1990s | 2,084 | 480 boys |
| 2000s | 4,542 | 220 boys |
| 2010s | 5,025 | 199 boys |
| 2020s | 3,859 | 259 boys |
Other spellings of Isaac
More Hebrew boy names
- Unisex name: Noah · rest, comfort
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: Elijah · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Mateo · gift of God
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Levi · joined, attached
- Unisex name: Elias · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
Questions about the name Isaac
What does the name Isaac mean?
Isaac means “he will laugh” in Hebrew.
What is the origin of the name Isaac?
Isaac has Hebrew roots in our records. Other Hebrew names include Noah, James, Elijah.
Is Isaac a boy or girl name?
Isaac is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Isaac?
Isaac ranked #47 for US boys in 2025, given to 5,953 babies. Its best year was 2013 (#28).