Isa
Isa was the 933rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 253 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 552 places. More babies were named Isa in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Jesus (Arabic); short for Isabel · Arabic, Hebrew
Say it EE-suh /ˈisə/
- Rank in 2025
- #933 boys, up 368 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 253boys
- Girls and boys
- 34% girls, 66% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025253 babies
- Total since 1880
- 6,575babies recorded
What does the name Isa mean?
Isa is two different names with the same spelling. For boys it is Arabic ʿĪsā, the name of Jesus in the Qur'an, where he is called ʿĪsā son of Maryam (for example Qur'an 3:45); Turkish spells it İsa. For girls it is a pet form of Isabel, Isabella and Isabelle, which go back through Old Provençal Elisabel to Elizabeth. The two names are pronounced the same in English.
عِيسَى (Arabic, “Jesus”)Isabel (Spanish / Old Provençal, “form of Elizabeth”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Issa, Isabel, Isabella, Isabelle.
See also: Arabic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Isa', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Isa (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Qur'an 3:45, Arabic text with translation (quran.com), Quran.com
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Isabel', DMNES, Durham University
Isa popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,717 | #933 | 119 | 253 |
| 2020 | #2,026 | #1,301 | 92 | 139 |
| 2010 | #3,022 | #1,890 | 56 | 76 |
| 2000 | #5,378 | #2,644 | 21 | 35 |
| 1990 | #4,571 | #3,680 | 21 | 16 |
| 1980 | #3,352 | #2,575 | 25 | 19 |
| 1970 | #3,482 | — | 18 | — |
| 1960 | #3,782 | — | 12 | — |
| 1950 | #5,611 | — | 5 | — |
| 1940 | #3,336 | — | 8 | — |
| 1930 | #3,487 | — | 8 | — |
| 1920 | #1,637 | — | 26 | — |
| 1910 | #1,843 | — | 8 | — |
| 1900 | #902 | — | 18 | — |
| 1890 | #626 | — | 18 | — |
| 1880 | #875 | — | 5 | — |
How popular is Isa, counting every spelling?
Isa has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #896 for boys in 2025, against #933 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Isa?
253 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Isa (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Isa born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 33 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Isa.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Isa?
About 3,100 people born in the US named Isa are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 5 and 20. That makes Isa a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Isa by state
How common Isa was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Illinois (3.6×), New Jersey (2.8×), New York (2.4×), Maryland (2.0×), Virginia (1.9×). In 36 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Isa: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Isa, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Isa · Sibling names for Isa
Isa is also a nickname for Isabella.
Questions about the name Isa
What does Isa mean?
Isa means “Jesus (Arabic); short for Isabel” (Arabic, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Isa?
Isa was the 933rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 253 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 552 places. More babies were named Isa in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Isa a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 34% girls, 66% boys given the name Isa in the US.
Where is Isa most popular?
In 2021–2025, Isa was most common in Illinois (0.39 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Jersey and New York.