Unisex · #1,495 in 2026

Issa

Issa is a given name that means Jesus in Arabic. It may refer to:Christ in Islam El-Issa family

Current Rank
#1,495
Peak Rank
#1,495 (2026)
Total Babies
2K
5-Yr Trend
+39%
👧 Girl peak #2,251 (1K total)
👦 Boy peak #1,495 (2K total)
👦As Boy Name
1969
First Year
2026
Last Year
2026
Peak Year
#1495
Peak Rank
2K
Total Count
57
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1975
First Year
2026
Last Year
2026
Peak Year
#2251
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
43
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Issa

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Issa is a given name that means Jesus in Arabic. It may refer to:Christ in Islam El-Issa family

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Issa

As a girl name

Issa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1975, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 83 Issas were born — ranking #2,251 that year. As of 2026, Issa ranks #2,251 for girls with 83 births, rising sharply (+44% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Issas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Issa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1969, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 120 Issas were born — ranking #1,495 that year. As of 2026, Issa ranks #1,495 for boys with 120 births, rising sharply (+39% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Issas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Issa

Phonetically similar names — useful when Issa is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Issa

What does the name Issa mean?
Issa is a given name that means Jesus in Arabic. It may refer to:Christ in Islam El-Issa family
How popular is Issa in 2026?
In 2026, Issa ranks #1,495 among boys' names in the U.S., with 120 babies given the name that year.
When was Issa most popular?
Issa reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #1,495 that year with 120 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Issa most popular?
Issa has historically been most popular in Michigan, New York, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Issa.
Is Issa a unisex name?
Yes — Issa is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 30% of Issas assigned female and 70% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Issa?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Issa include Shun, Chavis, Jomo. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Issa

Issa is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1969 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Issa's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #1,495. Use the chart and map above to compare Issa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.