Ison
Son of the brave warrior.
Name Census estimates that about 98 living Americans carry the first name Ison. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ison today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ison births was 2013 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ison. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ison. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
98
~ 1 in 3,497,493 Americans
Peak year
2013
17 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2020 SSA rank
#12,816
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Ison: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ison from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 64 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ison 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 Ison during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ison
The name Ison has its roots in the ancient Greek language and culture, originating around the 5th century BC. It is derived from the Greek word "isos," which means "equal" or "equivalent." This name was often given to newborns as a symbol of balance and equality, reflecting the values held in high regard by ancient Greek society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ison can be found in Plato's philosophical dialogue, "The Republic." In this work, Plato mentions a character named Ison, who was a friend of Socrates. This reference suggests that the name was in use during the classical period of ancient Greece.
During the Byzantine era, which spanned from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Ison gained popularity among the Eastern Orthodox Christian community. It was believed to have been borne by several early Christian saints and martyrs, though historical records are limited.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Ison Duca served as a military commander under the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos. Duca played a significant role in the recapture of Constantinople from the Latin Empire in 1261, solidifying his place in Byzantine history.
Another prominent individual with the name Ison was Ison of Kiev, a Russian Orthodox monk who lived in the 12th century. He is renowned for his contributions to the spread of Orthodox Christianity throughout Kievan Rus' and is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
In more recent times, Ison Elrington was a British politician and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Antigua and Barbuda in the late 18th century. His tenure was marked by efforts to improve the living conditions of enslaved Africans on the islands.
Ison Skugor was a Croatian composer and musician who lived in the early 20th century. He is credited with popularizing traditional Dalmatian folk music and contributing to the preservation of Croatia's cultural heritage.
While the name Ison has its origins in ancient Greece, it has been adopted and adapted by various cultures throughout history, reflecting the diverse influences that have shaped its evolution and usage over time.
People
Ison + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ison 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
Ison: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ison?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 98 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ison 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 3,497,493 US residents.
Is Ison a common name?
We classify Ison as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 108 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ison most popular?
The single biggest year for Ison was 2013, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ison is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ison a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ison 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.