girl's name
Isabel
IZ-a-bel
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 166,836
the United States
#176
2025 births
Isabel is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my oath." It began as a Spanish reshaping of Elizabeth — medieval speakers heard the El- as the definite article and dropped it.
- Isabel is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2006, when 4,019 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,899 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Isabel over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,053 |
| 1890s | 2,047 |
| 1900s | 2,937 |
| 1910s | 7,797 |
| 1920s | 8,630 |
| 1930s | 4,704 |
| 1940s | 3,694 |
| 1950s | 4,215 |
| 1960s | 3,852 |
| 1970s | 4,085 |
| 1980s | 5,102 |
| 1990s | 16,246 |
| 2000s | 36,125 |
| 2010s | 22,614 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 10,876 |
What Isabel means
Isabel means God is my oath, inherited unchanged from Elizabeth. The name lost its opening syllable to a misunderstanding rather than a deliberate change, which is why the connection is invisible today.
Where Isabel comes from
Isabel traces to the Hebrew Elisheva, God is my oath, which reached Europe as Elisabet. In medieval Spain and Provence the initial El- was mistaken for the Spanish definite article el and shed, producing Isabel — a genuine linguistic accident. For centuries Isabel and Elizabeth were treated as interchangeable in royal documents, direct evidence that speakers knew they were one name. Isabella I of Castile funded Columbus; Isabella of France married Edward II.
Isabel in use
Our data shows Isabel falling, peaking in 2006, and it first appears in our records in 1880. It sits alongside Isabelle, Isabella, Elizabeth, Eliza and Ellie on this site — six separately ranked entries from one Hebrew original, the largest such family in our data.
How popular is Isabel?
In 2025, Isabel was given to 1,746 babies in the United States, ranking #176 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Isabel is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Isabel
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Isabel also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Isabel over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
5 nicknames for Isabel
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Isabel in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Isabel
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Isabel — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Isabel
What does the name Isabel mean?
Isabel means "God is my oath," from the Hebrew Elisheva by way of Elizabeth.
Are Isabel and Elizabeth the same name?
Yes. Medieval Spanish speakers mistook the El- of Elisabet for the definite article and dropped it.
What is the difference between Isabel and Isabelle?
Isabel is the Spanish form and Isabelle the French. The meaning is identical.
How popular is the name Isabel?
In 2025, Isabel was given to 1,746 babies in the United States, ranking #176 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Isabel a girl's or a boy's name?
Isabel is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Isabel?
Isabel has 3 syllables.
When was Isabel most popular?
Isabel peaked in 2006, when 4,019 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Isabel?
Isabel is usually shortened to Belle, Izzy, Bella, Sabel and Isa.
Is Isabel a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Isabel currently ranks #128 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.