Eesa
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "Jesus" or "God's prophet".
Name Census estimates that about 820 living Americans carry the first name Eesa. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Eesa today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eesa births was 2024 (74 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eesa. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
820
~ 1 in 417,993 Americans
Peak year
2024
74 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,041
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Eesa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eesa from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 435 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Eesa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eesa by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Eesa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Eesas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Texas, New York, California recorded the most babies named Eesa, while Maryland, Georgia, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 46 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Eesa
The name Eesa has its origins in the Arabic language, where it is a variation of the name Isa, derived from the Arabic root word 'Ayn-Seen-Ya' which means 'to save' or 'to protect'. This name is closely associated with the Islamic faith, as it is the Arabic name for Jesus Christ, revered as a prophet in Islam.
The name Eesa is mentioned prominently in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, where it is used to refer to Jesus Christ. In the Quran, Eesa is portrayed as a messenger of God and a significant figure in Islamic theology. The name is also found in various Islamic hadith (recorded sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) and historical texts.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Eesa can be found in the writings of the Islamic scholar and philosopher, Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE), who wrote extensively about the life and teachings of Eesa (Jesus) in his work, "The Revival of the Religious Sciences".
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Eesa. One of the most famous is Eesa bin Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary), the central figure in Christianity, who is revered as a prophet in Islam and whose life and teachings are recounted in the Quran.
Another well-known bearer of the name is Eesa bin Ali (c. 625-705 CE), a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from the early Islamic era, who was known for his expertise in Islamic law and jurisprudence.
In more recent times, Eesa al-Muzaffar (1787-1851) was a prominent Omani ruler and Sultan of Muscat and Oman, who played a significant role in the region's history and politics during the 19th century.
Eesa Naqvi (1915-1980) was an influential Pakistani writer and journalist, best known for his contributions to Urdu literature and his work in promoting the Pakistani independence movement.
Eesa Khan (born 1972) is a contemporary British actor and comedian, known for his roles in various television shows and films, including the popular sitcom "Citizen Khan".
People
Eesa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eesa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Eesa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eesa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 820 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eesa going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 417,993 US residents.
Is Eesa a common name?
We classify Eesa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 826 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eesa most popular?
The single biggest year for Eesa was 2024, when 74 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eesa is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Eesa a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eesa in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.