Isaac Name Meaning

Are you looking for a classic, biblical, traditionally masculine name that goes back to the Bible? Isaac may be the perfect choice for you.

Derived from the Hebrew יִצְחָק (Yitzhak), the name Isaac means “one who laughs” or “one who rejoices.” In the Old Testament of the Bible, Isaac is the firstborn son of Abraham. He is one of the three biblical patriarchs revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

How Popular Is the Name Isaac?

A popular name in the early 20th century, Isaac lost favor for several decades before making a recent comeback. It rejoined the top 100 in 1995 and has remained there ever since, climbing to No. 28 in 2013 and coming in at No. 39 in 2020.

Although the name Isaac is typically used as a masculine name, it can certainly be used however you see fit, as sex doesn't have to be a part of your name selection process.

Name Variations

Isaac has been shortened to Ise, Ike, or Ikey.

As a biblical name, Isaac has an equivalent in virtually every known language. These include:

• Ihaka (Māori)
• Iisakki (Finnish)
• Íosác (Irish)
• Isaak (Dutch)
• Isaák (Greek)
• Isac (Romanian)
• Isacco (Italian)
• Isak (Danish)
• Ísak (Icelandic)
• Isaka (Swahili)
• Isaque (Portuguese)
• Ishak (Indonesian)
• İshak (Turkish)
• Isḥāq (Arabic)
• Itzak (Yiddish)
• Izak (Croatian)
• Izák (Czech)
• Izarak (Creole)
• Izsák (Hungarian)
• Izaokas (Lithuanian)
• Izaak (Polish)
• Yitzhak (Hebrew)

Similar Names

Parents looking for a girl's name similar to Isaac have used Isaaca as a feminine equivalent. But Isaaca has never caught on as a common name. Some parents have preferred more traditional feminine names starting with Isa-, such as Isabel/Isabella or Isadora.

Other boy names starting with I:

• Ichabod
• Ignatius
• Igor
• Ilan
• Immanuel
• Ira
• Irvin
• Irving
• Irwin
• Isadore
• Isaiah
• Ishmael
• Ivan

Other boy names from the Old Testament:

• Aaron
• Abraham
• Elijah
• Ezra
• Daniel
• David
• Jacob
• Joshua
• Nathan
• Noah
• Samson
• Seth

Suggested Sibling Names

• Aiden
• Christopher
• Emmanuel
• Logan
• Jackson
• Emma
• Harper
• Mia
• Olivia
• Sophia

Famous People Named Isaac

Over the years, many people have had the name Isaac. Below are a few of the most notable.

• Isaac Albéniz, Spanish pianist and composer
• Isaac Asimov, Russian-born American writer and biochemist
• Isaac Barrow, English theologian and mathematician
• Isaac Boleslavsky, Soviet chess grandmaster
• Isaac Brock, American musician, lead singer for the band Modest Mouse
• Isaac Casaubon, French-born English classical scholar and philologist
• Isaac Hanson, American musician, guitarist for the band Hanson
• Isaac Hayes, American singer-songwriter who won an Academy Award for the song “Theme from Shaft”
• Isaac Heller, American toy manufacturer, co-founder of Remco
• Isaac Kashdan, American chess grandmaster
• Isaac Luria, Jewish rabbi and mystical philosopher
• Isaac Newton English mathematician, astronomer, and physicist
• Isaac Peral, Spanish engineer, naval officer and designer of the Peral Submarine
• Isaac Leib Peretz, Polish-born Yiddish language author and playwright
• Isaac Pitman, English inventor of shorthand/stenography
• Isaac Shelby, the first governor of the state of Kentucky
• Isaac Singer, American inventor and businessman known for developing the Singer sewing machine
• Isaac Bashevis Singer, Polish-born American author, Nobel prize literature 1978
• Isaac Slade, American musician, lead singer for the band The Fray
• Isaac Stern, Ukrainian-born American violinist and conductor
• Isaac Titsingh, Dutch surgeon, scholar, merchant-trader and ambassador
• Isaac Watts, English Christian minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician
• Isaac Hirsch Weiss, Austrian historian of literature and Talmudist