Fun Facts About the Name Isra
- More than 1 thousand babies named Isra: U.S. records list 1,791 babies given the name Isra from 1880 through 2025. Even 22 boys received the name Isra - about 1 boy for every 80 girls.
What Does the Name Isra Mean?
Isra is an Arabic feminine name meaning "night journey." It comes from the Arabic noun isrāʾ (إسراء), formed from the root s-r-y, which means to travel or journey by night. The plain sense of the word is a journey undertaken after dark.
In Islamic tradition the word refers to the Isrāʾ, the night journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem, followed in the same account by the Miʿrāj, his ascension through the heavens. The seventeenth chapter of the Quran is titled Sūrat al-Isrāʾ after this event. The given name comes from the same word and is usually understood in reference to that story.
Despite the similar opening letters in English, the Arabic name Isrāʾ is not related to Isrāʾīl (Israel). The two are separate words built from different roots.
Isra Name History & Origins
The name belongs to the stock of Arabic personal names taken from Islamic religious vocabulary, and it is used in Arabic-speaking countries and in other Muslim communities. In Turkey it appears as İsra, spelled to fit Turkish pronunciation, and it is also found among South Asian Muslim families. The name keeps its link to the Quranic night journey, and it sits alongside other names drawn from the same account, such as Miʿrāj (Turkish Miraç).
Because the name is a religious term rather than an old Arabic personal name, its spread follows the wider use of names taken from the Quran.
In Spain and Spanish-speaking countries, Isra also appears as an informal short form of Ismael, and sometimes of Israel. This is a separate development from the Arabic name, with a different origin.
How Popular is the Name Isra?
Isra 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 #1,463 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 | #1,463 | 147 | 0.0091% |
| 2024 | #1,614 | 129 | 0.0080% |
| 2023 | #1,680 | 123 | 0.0077% |
| 2022 | #1,851 | 110 | 0.0067% |
| 2021 | #2,107 | 90 | 0.0055% |
| 2020 | #2,267 | 79 | 0.0049% |
| 2019 | #2,384 | 75 | 0.0045% |
| 2018 | #2,515 | 70 | 0.0041% |
| 2017 | #2,677 | 65 | 0.0038% |
| 2016 | #2,814 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 2015 | #2,694 | 66 | 0.0037% |
| 2014 | #3,092 | 54 | 0.0030% |
| 2013 | #2,987 | 56 | 0.0032% |
| 2012 | #2,785 | 63 | 0.0036% |
| 2011 | #3,324 | 49 | 0.0028% |
| 2010 | #3,174 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 2009 | #3,971 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 2008 | #3,004 | 58 | 0.0031% |
| 2007 | #3,872 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2006 | #5,293 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2005 | #4,412 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2004 | #4,430 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2003 | #3,972 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2002 | #4,680 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2001 | #5,438 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2000 | #4,110 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1999 | #5,753 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1998 | #5,896 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1997 | #9,317 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #8,394 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #5,787 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #8,366 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #6,776 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #10,901 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #10,691 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #9,584 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #8,292 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #8,690 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #10,341 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #11,289 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,759 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #10,261 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #12,862 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #12,970 | 5 | 0.0003% |
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 Isra 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 are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Isra's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Isra's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.