Issa
Boy name · #1682 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 98 baby boys were named Issa, placing it at #1682 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2386, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 18,367 boys born in 2025 was named Issa.
Babies named Issa per year. Source: SSA.
The 56-year story
Issa first appears in the Social Security records in 1969, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 115 babies and a rank of #1530. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Issa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Issa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Issa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Issa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Issa is most common
State-level data for Issa is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Issa
Statistically, parents drawn to Issa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Essa, Isa, Ilan, Eesa, and Moussa.
EssaIsaIlanEesaMoussaImanLipaKota
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Issa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 98 | #1677 |
| 2024 | 115 | #1530 |
| 2023 | 109 | #1591 |
| 2022 | 92 | #1782 |
| 2021 | 84 | #1841 |
| 2020 | 88 | #1743 |
| 2019 | 73 | #2001 |
| 2018 | 87 | #1762 |
| 2017 | 64 | #2130 |
| 2016 | 81 | #1845 |
| 2015 | 54 | #2386 |
| 2014 | 71 | #2000 |
| 2013 | 58 | #2225 |
| 2012 | 66 | #2066 |
| 2011 | 56 | #2284 |
| 2010 | 55 | #2324 |
| 2009 | 46 | #2663 |
| 2008 | 49 | #2542 |
| 2007 | 68 | #2034 |
| 2006 | 45 | #2621 |
| 2005 | 62 | #2008 |
| 2004 | 38 | #2741 |
| 2003 | 52 | #2128 |
| 2002 | 40 | #2470 |
| 2001 | 37 | #2562 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Issa a popular boy name?
Issa ranked #1682 among boys in 2025 with 98 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2386.
When was the name Issa most popular?
Issa peaked in 2024, when 115 American boys received the name (ranked #1530 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Issa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 18,367 newborn American boys was named Issa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.