Boy · Hebrew · Old Testament

Isaac

EYE-zuk · from Yitzchak · means “He laughs”

Isaac is a Hebrew name meaning "he laughs," given because his parents Abraham and Sarah laughed at the impossible promise of a child in their old age. Isaac's birth fulfilled God's covenant, and his willingness to be offered on Mount Moriah made him a picture of trust and sacrifice.

“Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me."”

The story behind the name

God promised Abraham and Sarah a son long after it seemed possible, and both of them laughed at the news (Genesis 17-18). When the boy was born, they named him Isaac, laughter, and Sarah said God had brought her laughter that others would share (Genesis 21:6).

The hardest test of Isaac's life came when God asked Abraham to offer him as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. Isaac, apparently a grown young man, went willingly up the mountain, and God provided a ram in his place at the last moment (Genesis 22), a scene that has pointed generations of readers toward God's own provision of a sacrifice.

Isaac grew into a quiet, steady man who dug wells, loved his wife Rebekah, and passed the covenant promise on to his sons Jacob and Esau. A boy named Isaac carries a name born from impossible joy and a life marked by trust.

Middle names that sing with Isaac

Chosen for rhythm and meanings that speak to each other.

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