Isa
Feminine · “ice”
Isa is given to both — 3,433 girls and 3,142 boys since 1880. See Isa as a boy nameSee other names given to both
Isa is a short form with several homes — Isabel in Spanish, Luisa in Italian, and a genuine Old Norse word for ice, which named a rune.
How old is the name Isa?
Isa was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Isa alive today was born around 2004, making them about 21 years old. About 2,500 people named Isa are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Isa most popular?
Isa peaked in 1881, reaching #405 nationally. Today it ranks #1710, 1,305 places below that high. See the whole 1881 chart.
Isa appears on these lists:
Where it comes from
From Isabel to Isa
The story of Isa
Isabel and Luisa both produce Isa in Spanish and Italian speech, and it is registered outright. Separately, the isaz rune names ice in the Elder Futhark, and Germanic names beginning Is- are built on the element. Isa appears in the American registers and is in current use for both sexes.
Meaningscholars disagree
ice; my God is an oath
Several routes. As a short form of Isabel it reaches the Hebrew Elisheva, 'my God is an oath'. As Germanic, from the Old Norse íss, 'ice' — the rune isaz is named for it. The Arabic Isa is the name of Jesus and is masculine. All are in use and none is dominant.
How the name formed
- Isabel
- Isa
Related forms: Isa · Isa · Isa
Pronouncing Isa
EE-sah
Two syllables, stress on the first. Spanish and Italian say it the same way; German uses a shorter first vowel.
Nicknames for Isa
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most girls named
- 2025119 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #405reached in 1881
- Change vs 2022
- +15.5%119 in 2025, from 103
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Isa in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Isa in Spanish — same name
- Isa in Italian — same name
- Isa in German — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, New York.
Isas among us
people named Isa are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 13,506 born in 2025 was named Isa
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Spellings of Isa
- #1710
- Isa on the 2025 chart
- #825
- counting every spelling
The SSA counts spellings, not names. Isa went to 119 girls in 2025, but Iza and Iyza are the same name said out loud. Together the 3 spellings went to 135, which makes it the 825th most-given girls’ name of the year — 885 places above the chart.
- Isa119
- Iza11
- Iyza5
About 1 girl in 11,906 born in 2025 was given one of these spellings — against 1 in 13,506 for Isa itself.
Spellings are grouped by a fixed rule that folds interchangeable English spellings of one sound (ck/k, ph/f, x/ks, a non-initial y for i) and keeps vowels apart, so Sean and Shawn stay separate names. It errs towards splitting: a family here is never larger than the truth. SSA national data, 2025. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Isa is on its second act. Revived names age gently: the generation that wore them first is far enough away that the name feels classic rather than dated.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Isa is headed
Isa should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Isa beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Isa in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Several substantial parent names can claim it, each with a real history.
- The Norse ice rune gives one route a genuinely striking image.
- Three letters, two syllables, and never misheard.
- The origin is genuinely split several ways.
- The Arabic Isa is the name of Jesus and is masculine.
- It is very short and can be swallowed by a long surname.
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What they receive
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Isa
Feminine · #1710 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Isas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,500 people named Isa are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How do you spell Isa?
- Isa is the most-used spelling in US records — 119 of the 135 babies given the name in 2025. The others recorded are Iza and Iyza.
- How popular is the name Isa in 2025?
- Isa ranks #1710 among US girl names in 2025, with 119 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Isa?
- About 1 in every 13,506 US girls born in 2025 was named Isa — 119 in all.
- Will my child share the name Isa with classmates?
- Isa will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Isa
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Diya#1710 · Marwa#1710 · Aleyah#1710 · Karoline#1710 · Evaluna#1710 · Azara#1710 · Aulani#1710 · Azura#1710
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Isa? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Isa and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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