ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 👦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 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issa%5F%28name%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issa%5F%28name%29) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * Arabic 📖 ## The Story of Issa ### As a girl name The earliest SSA record of Issa as a girl name dates back to 1975, when 6 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 83 newborns named Issa — #2,251 in the national rankings. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 48% of all recorded Issas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,251 among girl names 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 American parents first put Issa on the record books as a boy name in 1969, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 120 Issas were born — ranking #1,495 that year. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 30% of all recorded Issas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,495 among boy names 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 👧 Girls 👦 Boys 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 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Issa Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Issa. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Eesa](/eesa) * [Essa](/essa) * [Isa](/isa) * Yasu 🎶 ## 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. * [Essa](/essa) * Issy * [Esa](/esa) * [Iza](/iza) * [Issie](/issie) * Isu * Isee * Issi * [Issei](/issei) * Isie * Isci * Osaa Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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 What is the origin of the name Issa? Issa has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Arabic. 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. What are nicknames or variants of Issa? Common variants and related forms of Issa include Eesa, Essa, Isa, Yasu. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names ### 👦 Similar Boy Names [👦ShunPeak #1495](/shun)[👦ChavisPeak #1495](/chavis)[👦JomoPeak #1495](/jomo)[👦GordanPeak #1496](/gordan) ### 👧 Similar Girl Names [👧GraceannPeak #2251](/graceann)[👧TorrancePeak #2251](/torrance)[👧CallanPeak #2251](/callan)[👧TonniePeak #2250](/tonnie) ## 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 * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Names of the 2020s → ](/decade/2020s) * [ Names starting with "I" → ](/letter/i) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.