NameCensus.

UK surname

Issac

A surname derived from the Hebrew name Isaac, meaning "he laughs".

In the 1881 census there were 41 people recorded with the Issac surname, ranking it #27,870 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 183, ranked #20,813, up from #27,870 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broughton Astley, Croft, St Dunstan Stepney and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Ealing and Hounslow.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Issac is 193 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 346.3%.

1881 census count

41

Ranked #27,870

Modern count

183

2016, ranked #20,813

Peak year

2013

193 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Issac had 41 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,870 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016, ranked #20,813.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 146 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Issac surname distribution map

The map shows where the Issac surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Issac surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Issac over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 20 #29,743
1861 historical 142 #15,982
1881 historical 41 #27,870
1891 historical 146 #18,664
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 51 #27,708
1997 modern 62 #31,412
1998 modern 67 #31,282
1999 modern 65 #31,605
2000 modern 63 #31,829
2001 modern 62 #31,798
2002 modern 70 #31,432
2003 modern 73 #31,186
2004 modern 89 #29,623
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 124 #24,750
2007 modern 129 #24,503
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 156 #22,351
2010 modern 187 #20,309
2011 modern 182 #20,495
2012 modern 189 #19,949
2013 modern 193 #19,997
2014 modern 190 #20,374
2015 modern 184 #20,719
2016 modern 183 #20,813

Geography

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Where Issacs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broughton Astley, Croft, St Dunstan Stepney, Portsmouth, Portsea, Llangafelach and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Ealing, Hounslow, Stockton-on-Tees and Huntingdonshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Broughton Astley, Croft Leicestershire
2 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Llangafelach Glamorganshire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 016 Neath Port Talbot
2 Ealing 029 Ealing
3 Hounslow 020 Hounslow
4 Stockton-on-Tees 014 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Huntingdonshire 001 Huntingdonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Issac

These lists show first names that appear often with the Issac surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Issac

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Issac, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Issac surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Issac household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Issac is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Issac is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Issac falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Issac is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Issac, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Issac

The surname ISSAC is of Hebrew origin and is derived from the biblical name Isaac, meaning "he will laugh" or "he laughs" in Hebrew. The name is believed to have been adopted as a surname by Jews living in various parts of Europe during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname ISSAC can be traced back to the late 11th century in England. It is thought that the name was brought to England by Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in France and other parts of Europe. The surname is mentioned in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of 1166 and the Cartulary of St. Neots Priory in Huntingdonshire.

In the 13th century, the surname ISSAC was also found in parts of Germany and the Netherlands. One notable example is that of Rabbi Jacob ben ISSAC of Janow, a prominent Jewish scholar who lived in the late 13th century and authored several works on Jewish law and philosophy.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the ISSAC surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Italy and Spain. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Spain was that of Joseph ISSAC, a Jewish physician who lived in the city of Seville in the late 15th century.

In the 18th century, the ISSAC surname began to appear in various parts of the British Empire, including the American colonies and the West Indies. One notable figure from this period was Abraham ISSAC, a merchant and plantation owner who lived in Jamaica in the mid-18th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname ISSAC include:

1. Benjamin ISSAC (1643-1712), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London who founded the ISSAC Trust for the education of Jewish children. 2. Sir Rufus ISSAC (1819-1899), a British lawyer and politician who served as the Solicitor General for England and Wales from 1886 to 1892. 3. Madeleine ISSAC (1926-2020), a French writer and Holocaust survivor who wrote extensively about her experiences during World War II. 4. David ISSAC (1925-2009), a British actor and comedian best known for his role in the sitcom "Mind Your Language" in the late 1970s. 5. Michael ISSAC (1961-), a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1982 to 1995.

While the spelling ISSAC is relatively rare today, it remains an important part of the Jewish cultural and historical heritage, with its roots stretching back to ancient biblical times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Issac families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Issac surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Devon leads with 10 Issacs recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.32x.

County Total Index
Devon 10 12.32x
Hampshire 6 7.51x
Glamorgan 5 7.36x
Kent 4 3.01x
Middlesex 4 1.03x
Surrey 3 1.58x
Monmouthshire 2 7.09x
Cheshire 1 1.16x
Gloucestershire 1 1.31x
Lancashire 1 0.22x
West Lothian 1 17.04x
Worcestershire 1 1.96x
Yorkshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clase in Glamorgan leads with 5 Issacs recorded in 1881 and an index of 197.63x.

Place Total Index
Clase 5 197.63x
Alverstoke 4 138.41x
Bishops Tawton 4 1600.00x
Charlton Next Woolwich 4 287.77x
Battersea 3 20.91x
Islington London 3 7.94x
Bedwellty 2 40.16x
Portsea 2 12.76x
Shebbear 2 1666.67x
Alverdiscott 1 2500.00x
Birkenhead 1 14.58x
Broughton Hackett 1 5000.00x
Exeter St Kerrian 1 1666.67x
Hornsey 1 20.28x
Northam 1 169.49x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 16.00x
Salesbury 1 5000.00x
Sculcoates 1 16.31x
Stow On The Wold 1 588.24x
Whitburn 1 117.65x

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Issac households.

FAQ

Issac surname: questions and answers

How common was the Issac surname in 1881?

In 1881, 41 people were recorded with the Issac surname. That placed it at #27,870 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Issac surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016. That gives Issac a modern rank of #20,813.

What does the Issac surname mean?

A surname derived from the Hebrew name Isaac, meaning "he laughs".

What does the Issac map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Issac bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.