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Isaacs History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Isaacs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Isaacs is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from the baptismal name Isaac. The surname Isaacs referred to the son of Isaac which belongs to the category of patronymic surnames. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "yishaq" meaning "laughter." 1

The first record of the name in ancient Britain was found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where Isac was listed. 2 "This, as a baptismal name, was introduced about the time of the Conquest. One Isac appears as a chief tenant in Domesday Book." 3

"Hundreds of English people bear one or other of these surnames in whose veins there flows not a single drop of Jewish blood." 4

Early Origins of the Isaacs family

The surname Isaacs was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086. From this early entry, the name in both forename and surname forms became widespread with many early spellings. Willelmus (William) filius Ysac was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Essex in 1206; Henry Isaac was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcester in 1275, and Walter Isak in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 5 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Robert filius Isaac, Lincolnshire; Isaac Judxus (the Jew), Yorkshire; Johannes Isaak, Norfolk; and John Ysac, Oxfordshire. 4

In Scotland, "the name was not uncommon among ecclesiastics in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Isaac was prior of Scone from 1154 till 1162, and Magister Isaac was a cleric of St. Andrews, 1201. Ysaac of Brechin was a charter witness there c. 1178-98, and Ysaac de Banevin (Benvie) was one of a jury regarding the Kirketun of Aberbuthenoth, 1205." 7

Early History of the Isaacs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Isaacs research. Another 372 words (27 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1203, 1214, 1231, 1242, 1260, 1300, 1358, 1405, 1447, 1448, 1460, 1569, 1581, 1617, 1624, 1626, 1645, 1653, 1654, 1662, 1665, 1671, 1693 and 1698 are included under the topic Early Isaacs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Isaacs Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Isaacs include Isaacs, Isaac, Isaack, Isaacson, Izacke and others.

Early Notables of the Isaacs family

Notables of the family at this time include

Henry Isaacson (1581-1654), was an English theologian and chronologer, born in the parish of St. Catherine, Coleman Street, London, in September 1581, and was the eldest son of Richard Isaacson. "He a...

Isaacs Ranking

In the United States, the name Isaacs is the 2,483^rd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 8 However, in South Africa, the name Isaacs is ranked the 233^rd most popular surname with an estimated 28,908 people with that name. 9

Isaacs migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Isaacs Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Joseph Isaacs, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1636 10
Jacob Isaacs, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1691-1692 10

Isaacs Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Abraham Isaacs, who arrived in New York, NY in 1741 10
David Isaacs, who landed in Virginia in 1791 10

Isaacs Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gabriel Isaacs, who arrived in America in 1811 10
Morris Isaacs, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 10
J Isaacs, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 10
S Isaacs, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 10
James Isaacs, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1854 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Isaacs migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Isaacs Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Isaacs, British convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Isaac Isaacs, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Simon Isaacs, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Jacob Isaacs, British hatter who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years for possession of forged bank notes, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1836 13
John Isaacs, a tailor, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Isaacs migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Isaacs Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

David Isaacs, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842
David Isaacs, aged 21, a shoemaker, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" in 1842
Mr. George Isaacs, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir Edward Paget" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th December 1850 14
Mr. Henry Isaacs, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir Edward Paget" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th December 1850 14
D. Isaacs, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cashmere" in 1851 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Isaacs (post 1700) +

Ike Isaacs (1923-1981), American jazz bassist
Stanley Isaacs (1929-2013), American sportswriter and columnist most known for his work with Newsday
David Isaacs, American Writers Guild of America Award nominated television and screen writer, and producer
Susan Sutherland Isaacs CBE (1885-1948), English educational psychologist and psychoanalyst
Rufus Isaacs GCB, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, PC, KC (1860-1935), 1st Marquess of Reading, an English lawyer, jurist and politician
Avrom Isaacs CM (1926-2016), born Avrom Isaacovitch, a Canadian art dealer
David Isaacs (1946-2009), Jamaican reggae singer
Sir Isaac Isaacs (1855-1948), Australian politician, jurist and 9th Governor-General of Australia (1931-1936)
Erwin Isaacs (b. 1986), South African footballer
George Isaacs (1883-1979), British politician and trades unionist
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html