Isham

♂ Boy

Pronounced EYE-shum /ˈaɪ.ʃəm/Medium

Meaning: Isham is an English surname taken from a place-name in Northamptonshire, combining the river-name Ise with the Old English 'ham', a homestead or village, so it means 'settlement on the Ise'. Carried to America as a surname, it was used as a first name in the nineteenth-century South.Medium

In 30 seconds: Isham is an English surname-name meaning 'homestead on the River Ise'. A vintage rarity, it faded across the twentieth century (said EYE-shum).

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Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningIsham is an English surname taken from a place-name in Northamptonshire, combining the river-name Ise with the Old English 'ham', a homestead or village, so it means 'settlement on the Ise'. Carried to America as a surname, it was used as a first name in the nineteenth-century South.

U.S. rank (2022)#11402 ↗ Rising

2022 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1922

Total births (all-time)≈ 615

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Isham began as an English place-name, joining the small river Ise to 'ham', a homestead, then became a family surname. In the American South it crossed over into use as a masculine first name during the nineteenth century, keeping its dignified, old-country ring.

In United States records Isham was most common in the late eighteen-hundreds and early nineteen-hundreds, then thinned out toward rarity across the century. A man given it at its peak would belong to a great-grandfather's generation.

Did you know? The -ham in Isham is the same Old English word for a homestead found in countless English place-names, from Nottingham to Birmingham.

Overall data confidence 60%

References - Isham — English place-name Ise + ham 'homestead'; Southern surname-name

Variations

IshemIsomYshamIssham

Nicknames

IshSham

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Isham…

Isom— a close vintage variant of the same surname-name

Isaiah— another Is- boy's name of the old South

Ishmael— a fellow Ish- traditional boy's name

Ellison— a similar vintage surname turned first name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Isham mean?

Isham is an English surname and place-name meaning 'homestead on the River Ise'.

How do you pronounce Isham?

It's said EYE-shum /ˈaɪ.ʃəm/, two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Isham a boy or girl name?

Isham is used as a boy's name.

Is Isham a popular name?

No, it is a vintage rarity, most often heard in the American South around the turn of the twentieth century.