Isami
A Japanese unisex name meaning "courage and beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Isami. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Isami today is around 115 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Isami births was 1916 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Isami. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Isami is about 115 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Isamis were born before 1921.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Isami. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1916
14 babies that year
Average age
115
years old
1929 SSA rank
#4,260
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Isami: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Isami from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 72 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Isami 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 Isami during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Isamis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Isami
The given name Isami is a Japanese name that traces its origins to the early centuries of the Heian period, which spanned from 794 to 1185 CE. The name is derived from the Japanese words "isami," meaning "courage" or "bravery," and "mi," meaning "beautiful" or "admirable." It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive term to praise the valor and admirable qualities of warriors and samurai during that era.
The earliest recorded use of the name Isami can be found in various historical chronicles and literary works from the late Heian period, such as the "Genji Monogatari" (The Tale of Genji), a classic novel written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century. In this work, the name is mentioned as a descriptor for a character's bravery and noble character.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Isami was Isami no Maro, a renowned Japanese poet and courtier who lived during the late Heian period, around the 12th century. His poetic works, which often celebrated the beauty of nature and the ideals of bushido (the way of the warrior), earned him widespread recognition and admiration.
In the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the name Isami gained further prominence as it was adopted by several prominent samurai families. One notable figure from this era was Isami Naganori, a skilled swordsman and military strategist who served under the Minamoto clan during the Genpei War (1180-1185), a pivotal conflict in Japanese history.
During the Edo period (1603-1867), the name Isami was associated with several influential scholars and artists. One such individual was Isami Toshihide, a renowned calligrapher and painter who lived in the early 18th century and whose works were highly regarded for their elegance and mastery of traditional Japanese artistic techniques.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Isami Kondo, a influential philosopher and educator who lived during the late 19th century. Kondo played a significant role in the modernization of Japan's educational system and advocated for the integration of Western philosophical ideas with traditional Japanese values.
Throughout its long history, the name Isami has been associated with qualities such as courage, nobility, and artistic excellence, reflecting the cultural values and ideals of Japanese society across various eras.
People
Isami + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Isami as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Isami: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Isami?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Isami 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Isami a common name?
We classify Isami as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 136 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Isami most popular?
The single biggest year for Isami was 1916, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Isami is about 115 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Isami in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Isami a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Isami 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.
Is Isami still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Isami in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Isami can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Isami?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Isami, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.