girl's name
Isabella
iz-uh-BEL-uh
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 509,681
the United States
#7
2025 births
Isabella is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my oath," a Spanish and Italian form of Elizabeth that developed through Occitan and Old Spanish in the medieval period. It became especially prominent through Isabella I of Castile, who ruled Spain from 1474 and sponsored Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage.
- Isabella is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2010, when 22,966 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 311 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Isabella 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 | 603 |
| 1890s | 903 |
| 1900s | 1,038 |
| 1910s | 2,046 |
| 1920s | 2,095 |
| 1930s | 1,079 |
| 1940s | 774 |
| 1950s | 590 |
| 1960s | 429 |
| 1970s | 296 |
| 1980s | 567 |
| 1990s | 18,774 |
| 2000s | 149,772 |
| 2010s | 170,795 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 67,693 |
What Isabella means
Isabella means "God is my oath" or "pledged to God," carrying the same Hebrew root as Elizabeth. The meaning reflects its origin as a devotional name rather than a description of the bearer's character, a pattern common to many Hebrew biblical names.
Where Isabella comes from
Isabella developed as a Spanish and Italian variant of Elizabeth, itself from the Hebrew Elisheva, meaning "God is my oath." The name passed through Greek as Elisabet and into Old Spanish and Occitan as Isabel, where the initial El- softened toward Is-. Isabella became firmly associated with European royalty through Isabella I of Castile, whose 1469 marriage to Ferdinand II of Aragon unified Spain's two largest kingdoms, and who financed Christopher Columbus's transatlantic voyage in 1492. Later queens across Portugal, France, and England carried the name as well, cementing its long association with royal and noble families.
Isabella in use
Isabella and Elizabeth are, linguistically, the same name arriving in English by two completely different routes.
How popular is Isabella?
In 2025, Isabella was given to 10,666 babies in the United States, ranking #7 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Isabella 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 Isabella
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Isabella also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Isabella over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
9 nicknames for Isabella
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.
Isabella 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 Isabella
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Isabella — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Isabella
What does the name Isabella mean?
Isabella means "God is my oath," sharing its Hebrew root with Elizabeth.
Is Isabella a form of Elizabeth?
Yes — Isabella developed as the Spanish and Italian form of Elizabeth by way of Old Spanish Isabel.
Who was Isabella of Castile?
Isabella I of Castile ruled Spain from 1474 and financed Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage; she is the best-known historical bearer of the name.
How popular is the name Isabella?
In 2025, Isabella was given to 10,666 babies in the United States, ranking #7 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Isabella a girl's or a boy's name?
Isabella is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Isabella?
Isabella has 4 syllables.
When was Isabella most popular?
Isabella peaked in 2010, when 22,966 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Isabella?
Isabella is usually shortened to Bella, Izzy, Belle, Isa, Isabel and Bell.
Is Isabella a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Isabella currently ranks #7 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.