Find out how popular the last name Isaacs is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Isaacs.

Isaacs, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Isaacs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Isaacs in America

Isaacs is the 2422nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Isaacs surname appeared 14,951 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Isaacs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Isaacs to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Isaacs

The surname Isaacs has its origins in the ancient Hebrew name Isaac, which means "he laughs" or "he will laugh." The name can be traced back to the biblical figure Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, whose birth was a source of laughter for his aged parents.

The name Isaacs first appeared in England in the 12th century, after the expulsion of Jews from France and Germany. Many Jewish families settled in England, bringing with them their traditional Hebrew names. The Isaacs surname quickly gained prominence among the Jewish community in England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Isaacs surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1194, which mentions a person named Ysaac de Sancto Botulpho. This suggests that the name had already established itself in England by the late 12th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Isaacs surname was associated with several prominent individuals. One notable figure was Rabbi Judah ben Isaac, a 13th-century English scholar and physician who served as a court physician to King Henry III. Another was Benedict Isaacs, a 14th-century English Jew who was arrested and hanged during the Edwardian expulsion of Jews from England in 1290.

In the 16th century, the Isaacs surname gained recognition in the Netherlands, where it was often spelled as Isaacsen or Isacsz. One prominent bearer of the name was Abraham Isaacsen, a 16th-century Dutch rabbi and scholar who wrote extensively on Jewish law and philosophy.

The 17th century saw the emergence of several notable Isaacs in England. Sir Samuell Isaacson (1633-1720) was an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1692. Another prominent figure was Henry Isaacs (1670-1735), an English playwright and author known for his satirical works.

The 18th century brought forth notable figures like Ralph Isaacs (1720-1805), an English merchant and financier who amassed a considerable fortune through international trade. In the United States, Miriam Cohen Isaacs (1756-1847) was a prominent Jewish educator and philanthropist who founded the first Hebrew school in Richmond, Virginia.

The 19th century saw the rise of several influential Isaacs, including John Dore Isaacs (1795-1887), an English composer and music critic who wrote extensively on musical theory. In the United States, Albert Isaacs (1826-1904) was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as the Mayor of Baltimore from 1887 to 1891.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Isaacs

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Isaacs.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Isaacs was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Isaacs has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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