Isaac
Usually a surname from the medieval biblical given name Isaac, meaning “he laughs,” often the ancestor of forms like Isaacs, Isaacson, Hicks, and Hickes.
The #1,898 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 16,333 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Isaac is ultimately from the biblical personal name Isaac, which comes from Hebrew and is traditionally explained as meaning “he laughs.” In England the given name was introduced after the Norman Conquest and later became hereditary as a surname. Lower notes that it also generated shortened forms and related surnames such as Isaacs, Isaacson, Hick, Hicks, and Hickes.
History
As a surname, Isaac is mainly English and Jewish, arising from the common practice of turning a father’s given name into a family name. Medieval records already show the personal name in use in England, and later the surname spread in various spellings. The same root also produced a cluster of pet forms and patronymics, especially in English usage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The biblical Isaac’s name was so productive in English that it helped generate an unexpected family of surnames, including Hicks and Hickes, through medieval nicknames.
From the historical record
“of Duncan, King of Scotland. ISAAC. This, as a baptismal name, was introduced about the time of the Conquest. One Isac appears as a chief tenant in Domesd. A few centuries later it was com- I V 0 170 monly 'nicked' to Hyke, Hicque, &o. Ulti- mately it gave rise to the various surnames of Isaacs, Isacke, Isaacson…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom