NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Eesa

A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "Jesus" or "God's prophet".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Eesa is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Eesa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #175, with 290 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 328 births.

This profile covers 4,405 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 88% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 4,525 living people in the UK are called Eesa. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Eesa ranked #175 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 290 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2017, when 328 boys were registered as Eesa.
  • Eesa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #246 in 2024.
  • About 4,525 living people in the UK are estimated to have Eesa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#175

2024

Births in 2024

290

Latest year

Peak year

2017

328 births

Estimated living

4,525

2026

Meaning

What does Eesa mean?

The name Eesa has its origins in the Arabic language, where it is a variation of the name Isa, derived from the Arabic root word 'Ayn-Seen-Ya' which means 'to save' or 'to protect'. This name is closely associated with the Islamic faith, as it is the Arabic name for Jesus Christ, revered as a prophet in Islam.

The name Eesa is mentioned prominently in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, where it is used to refer to Jesus Christ. In the Quran, Eesa is portrayed as a messenger of God and a significant figure in Islamic theology. The name is also found in various Islamic hadith (recorded sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) and historical texts.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Eesa can be found in the writings of the Islamic scholar and philosopher, Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE), who wrote extensively about the life and teachings of Eesa (Jesus) in his work, "The Revival of the Religious Sciences".

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Eesa. One of the most famous is Eesa bin Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary), the central figure in Christianity, who is revered as a prophet in Islam and whose life and teachings are recounted in the Quran.

Another well-known bearer of the name is Eesa bin Ali (c. 625-705 CE), a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from the early Islamic era, who was known for his expertise in Islamic law and jurisprudence.

In more recent times, Eesa al-Muzaffar (1787-1851) was a prominent Omani ruler and Sultan of Muscat and Oman, who played a significant role in the region's history and politics during the 19th century.

Eesa Naqvi (1915-1980) was an influential Pakistani writer and journalist, best known for his contributions to Urdu literature and his work in promoting the Pakistani independence movement.

Eesa Khan (born 1972) is a contemporary British actor and comedian, known for his roles in various television shows and films, including the popular sitcom "Citizen Khan".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Eesa over time

The chart below shows babies named Eesa registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Eesa, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 290 births in 2024, compared with 328 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Eesa
082164246328199720102024

Decades

Eesa by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Eesa was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #180 1,435 5
2010s #230 2,375 10
2000s #612 578 10
1990s #2186 17 3

Geography

Where Eesa is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Eesa. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Eesa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #246 in 2024.

Scotland
16

Across the UK

Eesa in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#246 in 2024

17 years of NRS records, 146 total registered

Related

Names similar to Eesa

FAQ

Eesa: questions and answers

How popular is the name Eesa in the UK right now?

In 2024, Eesa was ranked #175 for boys in England and Wales, with 290 births registered.

When was Eesa most popular?

The peak year on record was 2017, with 328 babies registered as Eesa in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Eesa?

A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "Jesus" or "God's prophet".

How many people are called Eesa in the UK?

A total of 4,405 babies have been registered as Eesa across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 146 more in Scotland.

Where is Eesa most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Eesa ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #246 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.