Total births
2,288
Unisex name · since 1969
Issa
2,288 babies named Issa in U.S. Social Security records since 1969, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1534
- among boys today
- 2,288
- born since 1969
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Issa is the #1534 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 2,288 recorded since 1969.
Social Security Administration records show Issa recorded 2,288 times among boys since 1969, holding rank #1534 nationally today, ahead of 89% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1969 to 2025.
- #1534 among boys today
- 2,288 born since 1969
- 2010s peak decade
- 89% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Issa is currently the #1534 unisex name in America, more common than 89% of boys - 2,288 born since 1969, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1534
- among boys today
- 2,288
- born since 1969
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Issa vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1534
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 89% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Issa was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
115 babies were named Issa in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Issa compares
2,288 Top 20% higher than 80% of 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
Issa's all-time total is 6x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Issa | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,288 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 115 | 23 | 22,252 |
Issa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Issa splits its recorded history at 1998: 78% of all births land in the more recent half, 22% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1969 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2024 peak of 115 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Issa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#1,534
Active since
1969
Issa popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1969–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 115
- Annual births at peak, across 57 years of records
Issa popularity over time - girls
929 total births recorded since 1975 (Issa as girls' name)
Issa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Issa's strongest decade.
665 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Issa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 107
1970s
107 births
- 1980s 165
1980s
165 births
- 1990s
1990s
296 births
- 2000s
2000s
464 births
- 2010s
2010s
665 births
- 2020s
2020s
586 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 665 births (29% of all-time use).
How Issa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Issa's total volume
Issa vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Issa by state
Where Issa concentrates geographically, total births since 1969
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 282 | 12.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 260 | 11.4% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 156 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Texas | | 91 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 49 | 2.1% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 48 | 2.1% |
| #7 | Florida | | 30 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 23 | 1.0% |
California share of Issa's total US births 12.3%
Even split
282 of 2,288 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 13 reporting states.
Issa appears in 13 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Issa? ▼
Issa has been given to 2,288 babies in the U.S. since 1969, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1534 as of the latest data. 115 babies were born in 2024, its single highest year.
When was Issa most popular? ▼
Issa was most popular in the 2010s decade with 665 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Issa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Issa are California (282 births), New York (260 births), Michigan (156 births).
Is Issa a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Issa is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 2,288 births, and as a girl's name it has 929 births.
How long has the name Issa been used? ▼
Records for Issa go back to 1969, giving 57 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Issa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Issac, Issiah, Issaiah, Issak, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Issa's data
- Issa's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (665 total births) through the 2020s (586) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Issas (282 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- 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 Issa
Nearby Names Like Issa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Issa
Issac Boy
#847 24,554 births
Issiah Boy
#9994 1,402 births
Issaiah Boy
#12900 504 births
Issak Boy
495 births
Issam Boy
#12703 214 births
Compare Issa side by side: Issa vs Issac Issa vs Issiah Issa vs Issaiah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Issa
Wolfgang #1533
3,220 births · Peak 2021
Cian #1535
3,724 births · Peak 2007
Gerard #1532
58,820 births · Peak 1956
Nakoa #1536
1,137 births · Peak 2023
Eddy #1531
14,039 births · Peak 1956
Demari #1537
2,828 births · Peak 2021
Conway #1530
2,921 births · Peak 2025
Shivansh #1538
1,229 births · Peak 2025
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, 1969–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Issa: #1534 Unisex Name - 2,288 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/issa. 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 Issa 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.