2000
#4,417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,425
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.75
Rare Last name
Isaacson
Son of Isaac, a patronymic surname derived from the given name Isaac, which is of Hebrew origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,600 Americans carry the last name Isaacson. That puts it at #4,579 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,855 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Isaacson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Isaacson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 39,855
Census rank
#4,579
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,500 bearers of the surname Isaacson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4579th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Isaacson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Isaacson
The surname Isaacson originated in England and is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Isaac, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Yitzchaq meaning "he will laugh". The name Isaacson essentially means "son of Isaac".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Isaacson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Robert Isacson is mentioned as residing in Cambridgeshire. The surname also appears in various tax rolls and parish records from the 14th century onwards, with spellings such as Isackson, Isacson, and Ysaacson.
In the 16th century, the Isaacson surname is recorded in the parish records of Lincolnshire, where a Thomas Isaacson was born in 1550 in the village of Horncastle. He later became a renowned English chronicler and teacher, publishing works on the history of Lincolnshire.
Another notable figure with the Isaacson surname was Henry Isaacson (1581-1654), an English churchman and biographer who served as the rector of Rendlesham in Suffolk. He is best known for his biography of William Laud, the Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of King Charles I.
In the 18th century, the Isaacson surname can be found in the records of the East India Company, with John Isaacson (1720-1799) serving as a captain in the company's maritime service. He was involved in several battles against the French during the Anglo-French Wars.
The 19th century saw the Isaacson surname spread to other parts of the world, including the United States. One notable American with the name was Charles D. Isaacson (1819-1900), a lawyer and politician from New York who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Another individual of note was Walter Isaacson (1952-present), an American writer and biographer who has written acclaimed biographies of figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Steve Jobs. He also served as the CEO of the Aspen Institute and the editor of Time magazine.
Throughout its history, the Isaacson surname has been associated with various professions, including clergymen, writers, politicians, and military personnel. While the name originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with notable individuals bearing the surname in countries like the United States and India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Isaacson
Among Census respondents with the surname Isaacson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Isaacson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Isaacson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 6,959
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 219
- Two or more races2.5% · 189
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 69
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 38
- Black or African American0.3% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Isaacson
Isaacson appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,668
+243 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 2.60
Rank movement Down 211 places
2020
#4,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,500
-168 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.51
Rank movement Up 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,417 | 7,425 | 2.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,628 | 7,668 | 2.60 | +243 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 211 places |
| 2020 | #4,579 | 7,500 | 2.51 | -168 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 49 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Isaacson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,628 | #4,579 | 1.1% |
| Count | 7,668 | 7,500 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.60 | 2.51 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Isaacson bearers went from 7,668 to 7,500 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,628 to #4,579.
FAQ
Isaacson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Isaacson?
Name Census estimates that about 8,600 living Americans carry the surname Isaacson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,855 residents.
How common is Isaacson?
Isaacson ranks #4,579 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,500 people with the surname Isaacson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,600), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Isaacson.
Has Isaacson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Isaacson went from 7,668 recorded bearers to 7,500. That is a decrease of 168 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,628 to #4,579.
What does the Census say about the background of Isaacson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Isaacson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Isaacson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (6,959 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Isaacson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Isaacson (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Isaacson mean?
Son of Isaac, a patronymic surname derived from the given name Isaac, which is of Hebrew origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Isaacson (2.51 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Isaacson?
Want to know how many people are called Isaacson? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.