Behind the Name
the etymology and history of first names
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View Name: Isaac


ISAAC
GENDER: Masculine
OTHER SCRIPTS: יִצְחָק (Hebrew)
PRONOUNCED: IE-zək (English)   [key]
Meaning & History
From the Hebrew name יִצְחָק (Yitzchaq) which meant "he laughs". Isaac in the Old Testament is the son of Abraham and the father of Esau and Jacob. As recounted in Genesis, God tested Abraham's faith by ordering him to sacrifice his son, though an angel prevented the act at the last moment.

As an English Christian name, Isaac was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, though it was more common among Jews. It became more widespread after the Protestant Reformation. Famous bearers include the physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727) and the science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov (1920-1992).

Related Names
VARIANTS: Issac (English), Itzhak, Yitzhak (Hebrew)
DIMINUTIVES: Ike (English), Sekel (Yiddish)
OTHER LANGUAGES: Sahak (Armenian), Isaak (Biblical Greek), Yitzhak (Biblical Hebrew), Izaäk (Dutch), Iisakki, Iikka, Iiro (Finnish), Isaak (German), Izsák (Hungarian), Izaak (Polish), Isaak (Russian), Isak (Swedish)
Popularity
United States  ranked #35 
England/Wales  ranked #37 
Canada (BC)  ranked #31 
Australia (NSW)  ranked #19 
Catalonia  ranked #53 
Chile  ranked #96 
France  ranked #160 
Netherlands  - 
Northern Ireland  ranked #57 
Scotland  ranked #93 
Spain  ranked #83 



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