Isa means “God saves”. It probably comes from Arabic. It is documented as a boy's name in Kazakh and Bashkir and also used in Turkish, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani and Turkmen.
- Isa is a name of Arabic and Persian origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Bashkir.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 3 letters.
What does Isa mean?
Literally: Arabic form of Hebrew Yeshua
Literal meaning
Isa (Иса) is a Kazakh boy's name recorded both on Wiktionary and in the KazPER name list. Its meaning has not been established from the sources yet.[1,2]
meaning traditionally given; origin debated; name of a prophet in Islam (Jesus)
Isa in Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Bashkir
What does Isa mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written İsa. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “God saves” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.
What does Isa mean in Kazakh?
In Kazakh the name is written Иса, Iysa (Wiktionary romanization) and Isa (common romanization). No separate Kazakh gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “God saves” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1,3]
What does Isa mean in Kyrgyz?
In Kyrgyz the name is written Иса and Isa (common romanization). No separate Kyrgyz gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “God saves” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.
What does Isa mean in Azerbaijani?
In Azerbaijani the name is written İsa. No separate Azerbaijani gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “God saves” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.
What does Isa mean in Turkmen?
In Turkmen the name is written Isa. No separate Turkmen gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “God saves” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.
What does Isa mean in Bashkir?
In Bashkir the name is written Ғайса and Ğaysa (Wiktionary romanization). No separate Bashkir gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “God saves” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[2]
Where does the name Isa come from?
Arabic, borrowing. Wiktionary traces the name to Arabic عِيسَى.[2]Likely
Classical Persian and Arabic, borrowing. Borrowed from Classical Persian عِیسَیٰ (īsā), borrowed from Arabic عِيسَى (ʕīsā).[1]Likely
How do you pronounce Isa?
In IPA: [ʁɑj.ˈsɑ], as given in the cited dictionary entry.
Which languages use the name Isa?
Isa is used as a given name in Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Bashkir. Its origin is Arabic and Classical Persian and Arabic. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
Isa across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | İsaLatin | Boy | same as above: “God saves” | Editorial |
| Kazakh | ИсаCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “God saves” | Documented[1,3] |
| Kyrgyz | ИсаCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “God saves” | Editorial |
| Azerbaijani | İsaLatin | Boy | same as above: “God saves” | Editorial |
| Turkmen | IsaLatin | Boy | same as above: “God saves” | Editorial |
| Bashkir | ҒайсаCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “God saves” | Documented[2] |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of Isa
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Иса[1,3] | Kazakh | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Isa[3] | Latin spelling | Latin | Romanization (KazPER English romanization) |
| Иса[3] | Russian-language spelling | Cyrillic | Variant |
| Isa[3] | Latin spelling | Latin | Variant |
| İsa | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
| Iysa[1] | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
| Isa | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Иса | Kyrgyz | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Isa | Kyrgyz | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| İsa | Azerbaijani | Latin | Native spelling |
| Isa | Turkmen | Latin | Native spelling |
| Ғайса[2] | Bashkir | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Ğaysa[2] | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
Sibling names for Isa
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Isa rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- CeylinGirl“gazelle-like”same language (turkish)
- OlcaUnisex“spoils of war; abundance”same language (turkish)
- EgemenUnisex“sovereign, dominant”same language (turkish)
- DeniztekinBoy“prince of the sea”same language (turkish)
- YesariUnisex“relating to the left; wealth”same language (turkish)
- ÖzdilmaçUnisex“true interpreter”same language (turkish)
- ShakhzadaGirl“offspring of a king”same language (kazakh)
- AcunsevenBoy“world-loving”same language (turkish)
Common questions about Isa
What does the name Isa mean?
Isa means “God saves”. It probably comes from Arabic. It is documented as a boy's name in Kazakh and Bashkir and also used in Turkish, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani and Turkmen.
Is Isa a girl's or a boy's name?
Isa is recorded as a boy's name. By language: Turkish: boys; Kazakh: boys; Kyrgyz: boys; Azerbaijani: boys; Turkmen: boys; Bashkir: boys.
Where does Isa come from?
Isa is of Arabic and Classical Persian and Arabic origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Isa?
Isa is recorded for Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Bashkir. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is Isa spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Иса (Cyrillic), Isa (Latin), İsa (Latin), Ғайса (Cyrillic). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Isa have?
Isa has 2 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 3 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by a fixed template filled only with the stored source facts; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Иса”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 87167951. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as Kazakh given names, Kazakh male given names; listed as a Kazakh given name; etymology: Borrowed from Classical Persian عِیسَیٰ (īsā), borrowed from Arabic عِيسَى (ʕīsā).; Kazakh given-name entry Иса (+1 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Ғайса”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 88381228. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a male given name in the Bashkir section; IPA [ʁɑj.ˈsɑ]; listed as a male given name in the Bashkir section; etymology states: Adapted from Arabic عِيسَى (ʕīsā) (+2 more)
- Rustem Yeshpanov. KazPER Kazakh person-name list. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Supports: listed in KazPER; KazPER lists Иса; spelling Isa recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list; spelling Иса recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list (+1 more)
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