Fun Facts About the Name Ishaq
- 707 babies named Ishaq: U.S. records list 707 babies given the name Ishaq from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ishaq Mean?
Ishaq is the Arabic form of the biblical name Isaac, and it keeps the same meaning: "he laughs" or "laughter." The name goes back to Hebrew Yitzchaq (יִצְחָק), formed from the root ts-ḥ-q, "to laugh." In the book of Genesis the name is tied to the laughter of Abraham and Sarah when they were told that Sarah, already old, would bear a son (Genesis 17:17; 18:12), and Sarah's remark in Genesis 21:6 - that everyone who hears will laugh with her - gives the story its wordplay. The Arabic form Isḥāq (إِسْحَاق) is a borrowing of that Hebrew name, not a native Arabic formation from an Arabic root; its consonants follow the Hebrew, with Arabic ḥāʾ corresponding to Hebrew ḥet and Arabic qāf to Hebrew qof. Hebrew grammarians and modern commentators differ on whether the original form is best read as a verb, "he will laugh," or as a noun, "laughter"; both readings rest on the same root and the same Genesis story.
Ishaq Name History & Origins
Ishaq is the standard Arabic spelling of Isaac. It appears in the Quran, where Ishaq is named as a prophet, the son of Ibrahim (Abraham) and the younger brother of Isma'il (Ishmael), and as the father of Yaqub (Jacob). The Quran calls him righteous and a prophet (for example at 19:49 and 21:72), and Islamic tradition places him among the ancestors of the Israelites. The Quranic account follows the biblical outline but differs at one point: Islamic tradition holds that Isma'il, not Ishaq, was the son Ibrahim was commanded to sacrifice.
The name entered Arabic through the Jewish and Christian communities of the pre-Islamic Near East. Its shape closely matches older forms of the name in neighboring languages - Syriac Isḥāq and Greek Isaak (Ἰσαάκ), the form used in the Septuagint and in the New Testament. Because the Quran uses the name, it spread with Islam and is now common in Arabic-speaking countries, in Turkey as İshak, in Iran as Eshaq, and in South Asia, where it is also written Ishaque or Ishaaq. Arabic-speaking Christians use Ishaq as well, and the name is found among Muslim communities in Africa and Southeast Asia. The English spelling with I and sh reflects the Arabic pronunciation rather than the Latin and Greek line that produced the English Isaac.
How Popular is the Name Ishaq?
Ishaq has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #2,814 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,814 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2024 | #3,060 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 2023 | #3,021 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 2022 | #3,433 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2021 | #3,384 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2020 | #3,859 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2019 | #3,218 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 2018 | #3,564 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2017 | #3,410 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2016 | #3,389 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2015 | #3,047 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2014 | #3,115 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2013 | #3,898 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2012 | #4,183 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2011 | #4,152 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2010 | #6,161 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2009 | #7,400 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #5,593 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #6,032 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #9,035 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #7,327 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #4,869 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #5,130 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #6,725 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #5,233 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #9,147 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #8,911 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #9,850 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #5,709 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #6,112 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #6,040 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #6,448 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #7,841 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #7,523 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #6,957 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #5,412 | 6 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Ishaq Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Ishaq's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ishaq's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.