Isaac
Say it: EYE-zak/ˈaɪzək/
BoyMeans he laughs5 letters2 syllables
#104
in Ireland (2025)
#106 with spellings combined
54
babies in 2025
#77
best rank (2014)
1,671
babies since 1964
Down 29
10-year rank change
Isaac through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 54 | #106 |
| 2024 | 56 | #103 |
| 2023 | 72 | #87 |
| 2022 | 63 | #102 |
| 2021 | 74 | #88 |
| 2020 | 77 | #83 |
| 2019 | 77 | #91 |
| 2018 | 68 | #99 |
| 2017 | 86 | #84 |
| 2016 | 71 | #98 |
| 2015 | 100 | #77 |
| 2014 | 101 | #77 |
| 2013 | 80 | #95 |
| 2012 | 95 | #85 |
| 2011 | 77 | #101 |
| 2010 | 66 | #113 |
| 2009 | 62 | #121 |
| 2008 | 59 | #126 |
| 2007 | 72 | #101 |
| 2006 | 34 | #153 |
| 2005 | 39 | #134 |
| 2004 | 25 | #159 |
| 2003 | 21 | #171 |
| 2002 | 29 | #140 |
| 2001 | 20 | #160 |
| 2000 | 14 | #183 |
| 1999 | 7 | #241 |
| 1998 | 10 | #203 |
| 1997 | 14 | #196 |
| 1996 | 12 | #200 |
| 1995 | 5 | #281 |
| 1994 | 6 | #247 |
| 1992 | 8 | #222 |
| 1990 | 5 | #256 |
| 1976 | 3 | #316 |
| 1971 | 3 | #304 |
| 1968 | 3 | #267 |
| 1964 | 3 | #232 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Isaac mean?
He laughs
Hebrew, from Yitzhak (he laughs, he will laugh).
Say it right
EYEzak
The story of Isaac
Isaac comes from the Hebrew Yitzhak, meaning “he laughs” or “he will laugh”. The Book of Genesis ties the name to Sarah, who laughed when she was told she would have a son in her old age. Isaac is that son, the child of Abraham and Sarah and the father of Jacob and Esau, and one of the three patriarchs of the Hebrew Bible. The name is used by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.
Famous bearers include the scientist Isaac Newton and Isaac Butt, the Donegal-born barrister who founded the Home Rule movement in 1870.
Isaac was very rare in Ireland until the 1990s. It rose through the 2000s and had its best year in 2014, with 101 boys and a rank of number 77. It is more popular in Northern Ireland, where it reached 20th in 2020.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Isaac (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Isaac (name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA Baby Names, Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Ike
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Isaac | 54 | 1,671 |
In Northern Ireland
#31 in 2025 with 55 babies. Best rank #20 (2020); 1,441 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.