Boy name · Japanese
Isamu
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: courage, braveryIsamu is a boy's name that comes from Japanese and means "courage, bravery". It is used in Japanese.
- Meaning
- Courage, bravery
- Origin
- Japanese
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ee-SAH-moo
Meaning and origin of Isamu
As a boy's name, Isamu comes from Japanese and means "courage, bravery". It is used in Japanese.
Say it ee-SAH-moo. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Isamu on our names that mean strong list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
How to write Isamu in Japanese
In hiragana, Isamu is いさむ. In kanji it can be written several ways, and each choice gives the name its own meaning. These are spellings used for the name, with what each kanji means.
| Kanji | Reading | What the kanji mean |
|---|---|---|
| 勇 | いさむ | 勇 courage |
| 亥左牟 | いさむ | 亥 sign of the boar + 左 left + 牟 used for its sound (mu) |
Kanji and readings from the JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by our editors.
Isamu on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Isamu on 3 lists.
“Courage and bravery in one kanji.”
From Japanese boy names, strong Japanese boy names
“Courage, bravery, written 勇; Japanese. Say ee-SAH-moo”
From Names that mean strong, names that mean brave
“Courage, bravery; Japanese, often written 勇. Say ee-SAH-moo”
From Strong boy names, boy names that mean brave or bold
How popular is Isamu?
- Recent US rank
- Fewer than 5 babies in 2025
- Best rank
- #1,126 in 1922
- 40 babies that year
- Babies since 1912
- At least 562
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 22 per million |
| 1920s | 27 per million |
| 1930s | 7 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 0 per million |
| 2000s | 2 per million |
| 2010s | 0 per million |
| 2020s | 1 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | #11,375 | – | – |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Isamu
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- IsaacHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- IsaGod is salvation (Hebrew, boy)
- IsakHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- IsaoMerit, achievement (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
Middle names for Isamu
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- BartholomewSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BurtonFortified town (Old English, boy)
- CurtisCourteous (Old French, boy)
- GlennValley (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HowellEminent, conspicuous (Welsh, boy)
- PeregrineTraveler, pilgrim (Latin, boy)
- QuentinFifth (Latin, boy)
More boy names from Japanese
- KaiSea (Japanese, boy)
- AkihikoBright prince (depends on kanji) (Japanese, boy)
- AkihiroBright and wide (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
- AkimitsuBright light (depends on kanji) (Japanese, boy)
- AkioBright man (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
- AkiraBright, clear (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- AkitoBright person (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
- AmaneHeavenly sound (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- AoBlue-green (Japanese, boy)
- AoiHollyhock; blue (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
Isamu: common questions
What does the name Isamu mean?
Isamu comes from Japanese and means "courage, bravery".
Is Isamu a boy or girl name?
Isamu is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Isamu come from?
Isamu comes from Japanese and means "courage, bravery". Today it is used in Japanese.
How do you pronounce Isamu?
Say ee-SAH-moo. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How do you write Isamu in Japanese?
Isamu is written いさむ in hiragana. Kanji spellings include 勇 (courage) and 亥左牟 (sign of the boar + left + used for its sound (mu)). The kanji parents choose decide what the name means.
What names are similar to Isamu?
Names spelled like Isamu include Isaac, Isa, Isak and Isao.
What middle names go with Isamu?
Middle names that flow well with Isamu include Bartholomew, Burton, Curtis, Glenn and Henry. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.