Isser
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "he will bring reward".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Isser. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Isser today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Isser births was 2022 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Isser. 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 Isser. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2022
6 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2022 SSA rank
#11,407
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Isser: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Isser from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 6 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
Isser 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 Isser 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 Isser
The name Isser is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language and Jewish culture, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is thought to be a variant or diminutive form of the name Isaac, which means "he will laugh" or "he will rejoice" in Hebrew.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Isser can be found in the biblical Book of Genesis, where it is mentioned as the name given to the son of Abraham and Sarah. This reference suggests that the name has been in use for thousands of years, holding significance within the Jewish faith and tradition.
Throughout history, the name Isser has been documented in various texts and records, often associated with individuals of Jewish descent. One notable bearer of the name was Isser Danielovich Gunzburg (1812-1875), a Russian-Jewish banker and philanthropist who played a crucial role in supporting Jewish communities across Europe.
Another prominent figure with the name Isser was Isser Salomon (1853-1925), a German-Jewish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and the Reichstag, advocating for the rights of the Jewish community in Germany.
In the realm of literature, Isser Demidov (1901-1943) was a Russian-Jewish writer and journalist known for his works depicting the lives of Jewish communities in the Soviet Union. His novels and short stories shed light on the experiences of Jewish people during the tumultuous early 20th century.
Isser Harel (1912-2003), an Israeli intelligence officer and director of the Shin Bet security service, was another notable figure with the name. He played a pivotal role in the capture of Adolf Eichmann, one of the key architects of the Holocaust, and was instrumental in shaping Israel's intelligence and security operations.
While the name Isser may have its roots in the Jewish tradition, it has transcended cultural boundaries and has been embraced by individuals of various backgrounds throughout history, reflecting the diverse and interconnected nature of human societies.
People
Isser + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Isser 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
Isser: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Isser?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Isser 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Isser a common name?
We classify Isser as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Isser most popular?
The single biggest year for Isser was 2022, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Isser is about 6 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 Isser in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Isser a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Isser 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 Isser still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Isser 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 Isser 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 are called Isser?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.