Fun Facts About the Name Yitzhak
- 249 babies named Yitzhak: U.S. records list 249 babies given the name Yitzhak from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Yitzhak Mean?
Yitzhak is the Hebrew form of the biblical name known in English as Isaac. It derives from the Hebrew root ts-ḥ-q (צחק), "to laugh," and the name itself is a third-person masculine verb form meaning "he will laugh" or "he laughs." In the book of Genesis the name is tied to laughter: Abraham laughs when told he will have a son in old age (Genesis 17:17), and Sarah laughs at the same announcement (Genesis 18:12). Sarah then says, "God has made laughter for me" (Genesis 21:6), and the child is named Yitzhak. The literal sense "he will laugh" is thus the name's etymology, while the customary interpretation connects it to the joy and disbelief surrounding Isaac's birth. English Isaac reaches the same Hebrew name through Greek Ἰσαάκ (Isaak) and Latin Isaac.
Yitzhak Name History & Origins
Yitzhak is the standard Hebrew pronunciation of the patriarch's name, written יִצְחָק in the Tiberian vocalization. When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek in the Septuagint, the name was rendered Ἰσαάκ (Isaak); this Greek form passed into Latin as Isaac and from there into English and most European languages, which is why the Hebrew and English forms look and sound so different.
Within Hebrew itself the name stayed in continuous use. Ashkenazi communities traditionally pronounced it Yitskhok (often spelled Yitzchok), while Sephardic and modern Israeli Hebrew give Yitzhak. Because the Hebrew letter ḥet (ח) has no exact English equivalent, its sound is variously represented in English as "h" or "kh" and in spellings such as Yitzhak, Yitzchak, or Yitshak. The name has been borne by Israeli figures such as Yitzhak Rabin and Yitzhak Shamir, and it remains a common given name in Israel and in Jewish communities elsewhere.
How Popular is the Name Yitzhak?
Yitzhak 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 2019. Its best rank was #5,602 in 1989.
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 | #10,647 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #14,156 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #8,891 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #10,809 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #9,670 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #11,965 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #5,797 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #14,024 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #8,809 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #7,139 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #7,051 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #8,105 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #7,526 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #10,731 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #10,728 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #14,554 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2007 | #9,767 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #8,707 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #9,086 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #13,171 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #10,865 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #8,431 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #8,187 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #7,537 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #7,267 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #7,952 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #7,625 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #7,403 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #9,466 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1989 | #5,602 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #7,326 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #7,060 | 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.
Explore More Lists with Name Yitzhak
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with Y
How the Name Yitzhak Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual. You hate bondage in any form. You have love of beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You are willing to take spiritual matters on faith instead of subjecting them to mental analysis. You are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Yitzhak's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Yitzhak's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.