It has been proposed that his name was related to the Akkadian word išātum, "fire", cognates of which are present in multiple Semitic languages, both extinct and extant. Andrew R. George proposes that his name was simply the masculine form of išātum.
Andrew R. George suggests that his name could be connected to the Akkadian word išātum, which means "fire", a term with cognates in multiple Semitic languages, both ancient and modern. It is proposed that his name was essentially the male version of išātum.