Given name & surname
Isaac
“full of laughter”
Isaac is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “full of laughter.”
Original Hebrewיצחק
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “full of laughter.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In English usage, Isaac developed from יצחק. In English usage, Isaac developed from Ἰσαάκ.
The story
In biblical tradition, Isaac is the name of the son of Abraham.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Isaac appears in Genesis 21:3, Genesis 25:2, Genesis 24:15 and 13 other passages.
- Genesis 21:3
- Genesis 25:2
- Genesis 24:15
- Genesis 25:25-26
- Luke 20:37
- Hebrews 11:17
- James 2:21
- Romans 9:7
- Galatians 4:28
- Hebrews 11:18
- Genesis 22:5
- Genesis 21:12
- Genesis 12:2
- Genesis 22:2
- Genesis 22:8
- Genesis 22:12
From biblical name research
Isaac through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 332,292
- 331,508 boys · 784 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 10,287 babies
- 2025
- 5,963
- #47 for boys · #9,719 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −23%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5,953 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 47 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 22.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 10,274 in 2007. It also appeared in 10 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (766). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 242,217 as a first name in 2020; 19,157 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Isaac’s family of names
Isaac has an affectionate form in Ike. Isaac shares a linguistic root with Izaak. In English usage, Isaac has a related form in Issac.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Isaac has relatives in 36 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
Hebrewwhere Isaac comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 24
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Issacvariant · English
- Izzydiminutive · English
- Ikediminutive · English
- Isaakvariant · German, Esperanto
- Izaakvariant · Polish
- Izaacvariant
- Isakvariant · German, Danish
- Izakvariant · Polish
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- Isacvariant · German
- Isaackvariant · English, German
- Izikvariant
- Issaaclikely variant
- Ikeydiminutive · English
- Itzhakvariant · English
- Izsakvariant
- Isackvariant · German
- Isaacclikely variant
- Isaacusvariant · Latin
- Ikodiminutive · ceb
- Isaakiosvariant
- Itzakvariant
- Isaccovariant · Italian
- Isaacsvariant · German
- Itzigvariant · German
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 46
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- יצחקroot · Hebrew, Yiddish
- Yitzhakrelated form
- IshakMalay
- IsaquePortuguese
- Aizikcognate
- Icchakequivalent
- इसहाक़equivalent
- Исҳоқequivalent
Show 38 moreShow fewer
- Есҳаҟequivalent
- Izaokasequivalent
- Исаакequivalent
- اسحاقequivalent
- इसहाकequivalent
- Ысқақequivalent
- Исхақequivalent
- Isiakaequivalent
- Ísakequivalent
- Ishoqequivalent
- İshaqequivalent
- Isaacson“son of” surname · English
- ʻAikakeborrowing · Hawaiian
- Ihakarelated form
- Ibrāhimrelated form
- Isaachequivalent
- Isachequivalent
- Iiroequivalent
- ĪhakaMāori
- IsiyakuHausa
- ԻսահակArmenian
- ئىسھاقUyghur
- IzákSlovak, Czech
- ʻIkaʻakaHawaiian
- IzaäkDutch
- IzsákHungarian
- IssátNorthern Sami
- İshakTurkish
- IisakkiFinnish
- ΙσαάκιοςGreek
- Issakkaizh
- IisaaqGreenlandic
- ՍահակArmenian
- ÍsakurFaroese
- ইসহাকBengali
- IsihakaComorian
- إسحاقArabic
- Ἰσαάκroot · Ancient Greek
People named Isaac
- Isaac NewtonEnglish mathematician and physicist (1642–1727)1643–1727
- Isaac AsimovAmerican writer and biochemist (1920–1992)
- Isaac Bashevis SingerPolish-American writer (1904–1991)
- Isaac HerzogPresident of Israel since 2021born 1960
- Isaac BabelRussian language journalist, playwright, literary translator, and short story writer (1894–1940)
- Liev SchreiberAmerican actorborn 1967
- Isaac AlbénizSpanish composer (1860-1909)
- Isaac HayesAmerican musician and actor (1942-2008)
- Isaac BarrowEnglish Christian theologian, and mathematician (1630-1677)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Isaac, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Isaiah
“God is salvation” · “God is my salvation”
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Eli
“one who has ascended; my God on high”
99% boys · 1% girls
Uriel
“the angel of light”
98% boys · 2% girls
Gabriel
“man of God” · “a hero of God”
>99% boys
Jonah
“dove”
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Jesus
“God is my salvation”
>99% boys