Explore the Family Name Isa

The meaning of Isa

1. Muslim: from the Arabic personal name ʿĪsā ‘Jesus’ (see Issa 1). 2. Japanese: written phonetically 伊佐 ‘that’ and ‘help’. It is found mostly in the Ryūkyū Islands. 3. Albanian: from Isë (definite form Isa), a short form of the Muslim personal name Isak (see Isaac). Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohammad, Ahmad, Muhammad, Sana, Abdallah, Abed, Ahmed, Anwar, Ayad, Aziz, Azmi, Faiz. Japanese Yoshinobu, Chiyoko, Fumi, Kumiko, Shigeru, Tooru, Toshiro, Wataru, Yaeko, Yoshiaki.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Isa in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Isa has seen a significant increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Isa ranked 28,856th in popularity, but by 2010 it had moved up to 23,920th, representing an improvement of 17.11%. The number of individuals bearing the surname also grew over this period, with the count increasing from 776 to 1055 – a substantial rise of nearly 36%. Accordingly, the proportion of people named Isa per 100,000 population also increased by about 24%.

20002010Change
Rank#28,856#23,92017.11%
Count7761,05535.95%
Proportion per 100k0.290.3624.14%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Isa

When it comes to the ethnic identity of those carrying the Isa surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as White increased by 26.01%, making it the largest ethnic group amongst those with this surname. While the Asian/Pacific Islander group saw a decrease of 18.77%, the Black community experienced a remarkable growth of 51.66%. In addition, the Hispanic segment rose by 19.28%. It is important to note that the Two or more races category, which represented 14.82% in 2000, was suppressed in 2010 for privacy reasons. Data for the American Indian and Alaskan Native group was also suppressed in both years.

20002010Change
White38.14%48.06%26.01%
Asian/Pacific Islander33.25%27.01%-18.77%
Black6.31%9.57%51.66%
Hispanic7.47%8.91%19.28%
Two or More Races14.82%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%