Issai
A masculine Japanese given name derived from the word "issai" meaning "eternal".
Name Census estimates that about 90 living Americans carry the first name Issai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Issai today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Issai births was 2006 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Issai. 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 Issai. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
90
~ 1 in 3,808,382 Americans
Peak year
2006
14 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2016 SSA rank
#11,257
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Issai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Issai from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 55 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Issai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Issai 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 Issai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Issais live
Origin
Meaning and history of Issai
The name Issai has its origins in the Japanese language and culture. It is believed to have emerged during the Heian period in Japan, which lasted from 794 to 1185 AD. The name is derived from the Japanese word "issai," which means "one's whole life" or "lifetime."
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Issai can be found in the literary works of the renowned Japanese poet and scholar, Issai Yoshida (1617-1670). He was a prominent figure in the Shinto religion and is known for his contributions to the study of Japanese classical literature.
Another notable figure with the name Issai was Issai Kudo (1794-1845), a Japanese Confucian scholar and educator. He played a significant role in the development of education in Japan during the late Edo period.
In the world of Japanese art, Issai Mori (1901-1983) was a talented woodblock print artist who specialized in traditional ukiyo-e style prints. His works are celebrated for their intricate details and depictions of Japanese culture and landscapes.
Moving to the realm of martial arts, Issai Masutatsu Oyama (1923-1994) was a renowned Japanese karateka and founder of the Kyokushin karate style. He was known for his remarkable strength and discipline, and his teachings have influenced countless practitioners around the world.
Another notable figure was Issai Chozanshi (1584-1672), a Japanese Buddhist monk and calligrapher who was renowned for his mastery of the art of shodo (Japanese calligraphy). His works are celebrated for their graceful strokes and profound spiritual expression.
While the name Issai has its roots in Japanese culture, it has also gained recognition in other parts of the world, particularly among those with an appreciation for Japanese traditions and philosophy.
People
Issai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Issai 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
Issai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Issai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 90 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Issai 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 3,808,382 US residents.
Is Issai a common name?
We classify Issai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 91 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Issai most popular?
The single biggest year for Issai was 2006, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Issai is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Issai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Issai 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.