NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Isiah

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "salvation of the Lord.".

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.

Isiah is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Isiah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1322, with 20 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 24 births.

This profile covers 331 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 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 83% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 332 living people in the UK are called Isiah. 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

  • Isiah ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 20 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 24 boys were registered as Isiah.
  • Isiah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #703 in 2022.
  • About 332 living people in the UK are estimated to have Isiah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1322

2024

Births in 2024

20

Latest year

Peak year

2021

24 births

Estimated living

332

2026

Meaning

What does Isiah mean?

The name Isiah has its roots in the Hebrew language, originating from the biblical name Yeshayahu, which means "Yahweh is salvation" or "the Lord is salvation." This name can be traced back to ancient times, with references found in the Old Testament of the Bible.

One of the earliest and most notable figures associated with the name Isiah is the biblical prophet Isaiah, who lived in the 8th century BC. His prophecies and teachings are recorded in the Book of Isaiah, a significant part of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament.

In the Middle Ages, the name Isiah gained popularity among Jewish communities, particularly in Europe. It was often used as a variant spelling of the more common Hebrew name Yeshayahu. During this period, the name spread across various regions and cultures, adapting to different languages and spelling variations.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the name Isiah. One of the earliest examples is Isiah ben Abraham Halevi, a 13th-century Jewish scholar and poet from Spain. Another prominent figure was Isiah ben Mali di Trani, also known as the Rid, a renowned Italian rabbi and Talmudic scholar who lived in the 16th century.

In more recent times, the name Isiah has been associated with several influential individuals. One of the most famous is Isiah Thomas, an American former professional basketball player who was born in 1961. He was a member of the Detroit Pistons and led the team to two NBA championships in 1989 and 1990.

Another notable Isiah is Isiah Whitlock Jr., an American actor born in 1954, best known for his role as Senator Clay Davis in the HBO series "The Wire" and his appearances in various films and television shows.

Isiah Leggett, an American politician born in 1944, served as the County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland, from 2006 to 2018, and was the first African American to hold this position.

In the world of music, Isiah Sheffer, a British singer-songwriter born in 1963, gained recognition for his contributions to the UK dance and pop scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

These are just a few examples of the individuals who have carried the name Isiah throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Isiah over time

The chart below shows babies named Isiah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Isiah, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 20 births in 2024, compared with 24 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Isiah
06121824199620102024

Decades

Isiah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Isiah 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 #1285 103 5
2010s #1891 139 10
2000s #2089 70 9
1990s #1834 19 3

Geography

Where Isiah is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Isiah. 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.

Isiah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #703 in 2022.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Isiah in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#703 in 2022

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Isiah

FAQ

Isiah: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Isiah was ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales, with 20 births registered.

When was Isiah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 24 babies registered as Isiah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Isiah?

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "salvation of the Lord.".

How many people are called Isiah in the UK?

A total of 331 babies have been registered as Isiah across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Isiah most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Isiah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #703 in 2022. 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.