Find out how popular the first name Isom has been for the last 50 years (from 1975 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Isom by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Isom is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 5 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Isom.

The history of the first name Isom

The name Isom is an English given name derived from the Hebrew name Ishmael. It originated in the Middle Ages, likely as a variant spelling or pronunciation of the biblical name. Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar in the Old Testament. The name means "God hears" in Hebrew.

In the 11th century, the name Ismaél appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early spelling variation indicates the name's use during the Norman period. Over time, the name transformed through various spellings like Ismael, Ismale, and eventually Isom.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Isom was Isom Dart, an English landowner born around 1580 in Wiltshire, England. In the late 17th century, Isom Folger was a prominent merchant and ship captain from Nantucket, Massachusetts, born in 1679.

Notable historical figures with the name Isom include Isom Pickett, a Confederate soldier in the American Civil War born in 1826. He fought in several major battles and was captured at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Isom Jeffries, born in 1834 in Kentucky, was a Baptist minister and educator who founded the Jeffries Institute, a historically black college in Mississippi.

Isom Philmore Davidson, born in 1841 in Pennsylvania, was a Union Army officer during the Civil War and later served as a judge in Kansas. Isom Clinton, born in 1837 in Ohio, was a politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Iowa in the late 19th century.

In the arts, Isom Gravat was a prominent American painter and illustrator born in 1846 in Indiana. He is known for his landscapes and Civil War scenes. Isom Dart Ricketts, born in 1839 in Ohio, was a poet and author who wrote several works of fiction and non-fiction.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Isom was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Isom, please contact us.

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