boy's name
Isaac
EYE-zuk
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 436,996
the United States
#47
2025 births
Isaac is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "he laughs," from Yitzhak. Genesis attaches the name to laughter three times — both Abraham and Sarah laugh at the promise of a child in old age, and Sarah laughs again after his birth.
- Isaac is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2007, when 10,287 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 556 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Isaac over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,311 |
| 1890s | 1,735 |
| 1900s | 1,638 |
| 1910s | 4,959 |
| 1920s | 6,569 |
| 1930s | 4,736 |
| 1940s | 5,089 |
| 1950s | 5,511 |
| 1960s | 4,631 |
| 1970s | 10,568 |
| 1980s | 18,518 |
| 1990s | 40,387 |
| 2000s | 90,935 |
| 2010s | 94,677 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 40,028 |
What Isaac means
Isaac means he laughs, or he will laugh, from the Hebrew tzachaq, to laugh. The Genesis narrative returns to that root repeatedly, using it first for disbelief and then for delight, which makes the name a piece of deliberate storytelling.
Where Isaac comes from
Isaac comes from the Hebrew Yitzhak, from tzachaq, to laugh. Genesis builds the name into its narrative with unusual care: Abraham laughs when told he will father a son at a hundred, Sarah laughs behind the tent door at the same promise, and after Isaac is born Sarah says that God has brought her laughter and that everyone who hears will laugh with her. The same root recurs in the account of Isaac's near-sacrifice and his later life. The name passed through Greek Isaak and Latin Isaac into European languages, was used by Jewish communities continuously, and entered wider English use after the Reformation. Isaac Newton is among its best-known bearers.
Isaac in use
Genesis returns to the laughter pun at least three times, using it first for disbelief and then for joy.
How popular is Isaac?
In 2025, Isaac was given to 5,963 babies in the United States, ranking #47 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Isaac is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Isaac is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Isâac | Isâac is Isaac written with a circumflex, used in France, where it ranks #766. | 110 |
| Isaâc | Isaâc is a rare spelling of Isaac, written with a circumflex and recorded about 35 times, mostly in France. | 35 |
| Ïsaac | Ïsaac is a rare spelling of Isaac, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
| Isaäc | Isaäc is a rare spelling of Isaac, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Isaac
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Isaac also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Isaac over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Isaac
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Isaac in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Isaac
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Isaac — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Isaac
What does the name Isaac mean?
Isaac means "he laughs," from the Hebrew Yitzhak.
Why is Isaac connected to laughter?
Genesis records both Abraham and Sarah laughing at the promise of a child in old age, and Sarah laughing again after his birth.
What are nicknames for Isaac?
Ike and Zac are the most common short forms.
How popular is the name Isaac?
In 2025, Isaac was given to 5,963 babies in the United States, ranking #47 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Isaac a girl's or a boy's name?
Isaac is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Isaac?
Isaac has 2 syllables.
When was Isaac most popular?
Isaac peaked in 2007, when 10,287 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Isaac a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Isaac currently ranks #11 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.