Entry № 1135 · Arabic, Swahili origin

Issa Issa — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ EE-sah /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Arabic, Swahili
Meaning
"Salvation / Jesus (Issa Rae, Insecure creator)"
Syllables
2
Rank · US 2025
№ 0
First recorded
Medieval (Arabic)

A name that means "salvation / jesus (issa rae, insecure creator)".

Issa (عيسى) is the Arabic and Swahili form of Jesus — from the Hebrew *Yeshua* ("the Lord is salvation"). **In Islam, ʿĪsā ibn Maryam (Jesus son of Mary) is recognized as a major prophet**. **Issa Rae (born Jo-Issa Rae Diop, 1985)** — **Senegalese-American actress, writer, producer; her self-produced 2011 YouTube web series *The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl* led to HBO's *Insecure* (2016-2021) — which she created, starred in, and produced**. **Five Primetime Emmy nominations; founded HOORAE Media production company in 2020**. **Her 2015 book *The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl* was a *New York Times* bestseller**. **Producer of *The Photograph* (2020), *Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse* (voice, 2023), *Barbie* (2023)**. **Inkwell Beach foundation supports Black homeownership**. **Issa Kobayashi** (1763-1828) — Japanese haiku master, male. **Issa Hayatou** — Cameroonian sports administrator, male.

Featured throughout 2010s-2020s American television.

Salvation. Created and starred in HBO's Insecure; founded HOORAE Media.

The name in its native script.

عيسى
Transliteration
ʿĪsā
Pronunciation
/ ˈiː.sə /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Issa stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 0 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 0 in 0
Babies named Issa · last year
92 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
0
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · — NOW · —

Issas before her.

Real people
Issa Rae
American writer-producer.
born 1985
In fiction
Issa Dee
Insecure.
2016

Names connected to Issa.

The number behind Issa.

5

The Free Spirit

Issa reduces to five — the number of salvation.

Why families chose this name.

"Rae's salvation. Four letters. Issa."
Aminata · Mother of one · Dakar