ISABEL and popularity

Name ISABEL

GENDER: Feminine

USAGE: Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German

PRONOUNCED: ee-sah-BEL (Spanish), IZ-ə-bel (English), ee-za-BEL (French), ee-zah-BEL (German)   [key]

Meaning & History

It grew popular in England in the 13th century after Isabella of Angoulême married the English king John, and it was subsequently bolstered when Isabella of France married Edward II the following century.

Medieval Occitan form of ELIZABETH. It spread throughout Spain, Portugal and France, becoming common among the royalty by the 12th century

This is the usual form of the name Elizabeth in Spain and Portugal, though elsewhere it is considered a parallel name, such as in France where it is used alongside Élisabeth. The name was borne by two Spanish ruling queens, including Isabel of Castile, who sponsored the explorations of Christopher Columbus.

The charming Isabel is hugely fashionable again, a century after its first wave of success. And it's easy to see why: it's ladylike (a la Isabel Archer in Henry James's Portrait of a Lady) and melodic, traditional yet slightly offbeat. Isabel sounds smart as well as pretty.

Two noted cultural namesakes are Chilean author Isabel Allende and painter Isabel Bishop, as well as Cuban-American fashion designer Isabel Toledo.

The only downside: with Isabella ranking at Number 4, there are so many other little Isabels, Isabelles, Isabellas, Belles, and Bellas, yours would be far from unique.

The Office's Angela Kinsley named her baby girl Isabel, and Annette Bening and Warren Beatty have a teen-aged Isabel.

Isabel is in the Top 80 in several countries--Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Australia, Ireland, and England and Wales

.Isabelle is the French version, Isabella the Italian one, and Isobel the Scottish spelling, which has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength.

VARIANTS: Isabela, Ysabel, Elisabet (Spanish), Isabela, Elisabete (Portuguese), Isabella, Isabelle, Izabelle, Isbel, Isebella (English), Élisabeth, Isabelle (French), Isabella, Isabelle, Isabell (German)

DIMINUTIVES: Isa (Spanish), Belinha (Portuguese), Bella, Belle, Ibbie, Issy, Izzy, Libbie, Libby, Sabella (English), Isa (German)

OTHER LANGUAGES: Zabel (Armenian), Elixabete (Basque), Elisabeth, Elisheba, Elizabeth (Biblical), Elisabet (Biblical Greek), Elisheba (Biblical Hebrew), Elisabeth (Biblical Latin), Elisaveta (Bulgarian), Elizabeta (Croatian), Alžběta, Eliška (Czech), Elisabet, Elisabeth, Isabella, Eli, Elise, Ella, Else, Lilly, Lis, Lisa, Lisbet, Lise, Lissi (Danish), Elisabeth, Isabella, Isabelle, Betje, Elise, Elly, Els, Else, Elsje, Ilse, Isa, Lies, Liesbeth, Liese, Liesje, Lijsbeth, Lisa (Dutch), Eliisabet, Liis, Liisa, Liisi, Liisu (Estonian), Elisabet, Eliisa, Elisa, Ella, Elsa, Liisa, Liisi (Finnish), Bet, Lys (Frisian), Sabela (Galician), Elisabed, Eliso (Georgian), Elisavet (Greek), Elikapeka (Hawaiian), Elisheva (Hebrew), Erzsébet, Izabella, Bözsi, Erzsi, Lili, Liliána, Liza, Zsóka (Hungarian), Elísabet (Icelandic), Eilís, Eilish, Isibéal, Sibéal (Irish), Elisabetta, Isabella, Elisa, Elsa, Isa, Liana, Liliana, Lisa (Italian), Bet, Betje (Limburgish), Elžbieta, Elzė (Lithuanian), Elisaveta, Beti, Veta (Macedonian), Ealisaid (Manx), Ibb (Medieval English), Elisabet, Elisabeth, Isabella, Eli, Elise, Ella, Else, Lilly, Lis, Lisa, Lisbet, Lise, Liss (Norwegian), Isabèl (Occitan), Elżbieta, Izabela, Izabella, Ela, Eliza, Liliana (Polish), Elisabeta, Isabela, Isabella, Liana, Liliana (Romanian), Elizaveta, Yelizaveta, Liza, Lizaveta (Russian), Ealasaid, Elspet, Elspeth, Iseabail, Ishbel, Isobel, Beileag, Lileas, Lilias, Lillias (Scottish), Jelisaveta, Jela, Jelica (Serbian), Alžbeta, Eliška (Slovak), Elizabeta, Špela (Slovene), Elisabet, Elisabeth, Isabella, Elise, Ella, Elsa, Lilly, Lis, Lisa, Lisbet, Lise (Swedish), Yelyzaveta (Ukrainian), Bethan (Welsh)

SAME SPELLING: Isabèl