| Isaac | Ezra | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | He will laugh | help |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | EYE-zik | EZ-rah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2007 (10,274) | 2024 (8,822) |
| In 2025 | 5,953 | 8,126 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Isaac | Ezra |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 39,997 | 47,728 |
| 2010s | 94,574 | 38,650 |
| 2000s | 90,761 | 8,326 |
| 1990s | 40,271 | 2,854 |
| 1980s | 18,374 | 1,755 |
| 1970s | 10,480 | 1,271 |
| 1960s | 4,605 | 588 |
| 1950s | 5,479 | 677 |
| 1940s | 5,064 | 574 |
| 1930s | 4,715 | 819 |
| 1920s | 6,552 | 1,373 |
| 1910s | 4,952 | 1,081 |
| 1900s | 1,638 | 304 |
| 1890s | 1,735 | 405 |
| 1880s | 2,311 | 356 |
Isaac is from the Hebrew Yiṣḥaq, “he will laugh,” a reference to Sarah’s joy at his birth in Genesis.
From Hebrew ezra, 'help, aid' (root '-z-r). Borne by the scribe of the biblical Book of Ezra. Likely a shortened theophoric name (compare Azariah, 'Yahweh has helped'), with the divine element dropped.
Ezra is more popular than Isaac today: about 8,126 US babies were given the name Ezra in 2025, compared with 5,953 named Isaac.
Isaac means He will laugh (Hebrew origin), while Ezra means help (hebrew origin).
In US records, Isaac first appears in 1880 and Ezra in 1880, so Isaac has the longer recorded history.