Total births
299
Boys' name · since 1880
Isam
299 babies named Isam in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1998. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9908
- among boys today
- 299
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Isam is the #9908 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 299 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Isam has been recorded 299 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #9908 nationally and more common than 31% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #9908 among boys today
- 299 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 31% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Isam is currently the #9908 boys' name in America, more common than 31% of boys - 299 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #9908
- among boys today
- 299
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other boys
Isam vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9908
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 31% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Isam was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
11 babies were named Isam in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Isam compares
299 46th percentile among 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Isam's all-time total is 19% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Isam | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 299 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 11 | 23 | 22,252 |
Isam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Isam's SSA record in two at 2000 and the more recent half accounts for 53% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 47%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1998 peak of 11, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Isam at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#9,908
Active since
1880
Isam popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Isam by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Isam's strongest decade.
71 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Isam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s
1920s
49 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1960s 6
1960s
6 births
- 1970s 7
1970s
7 births
- 1980s 10
1980s
10 births
- 1990s
1990s
54 births
- 2000s
2000s
60 births
- 2010s
2010s
71 births
- 2020s 27
2020s
27 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 71 births (24% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Isam? ▼
Isam has been given to 299 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #9908 as of the latest data. 11 babies were born in 1998, its single highest year.
When was Isam most popular? ▼
Isam was most popular in the 2010s decade with 71 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
How long has the name Isam been used? ▼
Records for Isam go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Isam? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Isaac, Isaiah, Isaias, Isai, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Isam's data
- Isam's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (71 total births) through the 2020s (27) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Isam
Nearby Names Like Isam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Isam
Isaac Boy
#41 331,508 births
Isaiah Boy
#56 254,020 births
Isaias Boy
#449 18,644 births
Isai Boy
#1063 7,340 births
Isadore Boy
#8318 5,714 births
Compare Isam side by side: Isam vs Isaac Isam vs Isaiah Isam vs Isaias
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Isam
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Isam: #9908 Boys' Name - 299 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/isam. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Isam draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.