Girl's name
Isabel
Say it IZ-uh-bel
Hebrew origin my God is an oath
3 syllables
Where Isabel is loved, common and rare
Common across Italy, the Netherlands and two more places. Rare in Ireland, Canada, five German cities and nine more places.
1 in 571 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Italy 17thThe Netherlands 89thIreland 127th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 22 of the 40 official lists, among them Italy (17th), the Netherlands (89th) and Ireland (127th).
Show all 22 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 17th 2024 | 1,628 | 1 in 110 |
| Spain | 62nd 2024 | 413 | rank only |
| The Netherlands | 89th 2025 | 154 | about 1 in 396 |
| South Australia state | 96th 2025 | 16 | rank only |
| Ireland | 127th 2025 | 37 | 1 in 571 |
| British Columbia province | 132nd 2023 | 22 | about 1 in 544 |
| Munich city | 145th 2025 | 9 | about 1 in 466 |
| Catalonia region | 156th 2025 | 28 | 1 in 688 |
| England and Wales | 184th 2025 | 271 | 1 in 935 |
| Austria | 187th 2025 | 32 | 1 in 1,116 |
| Scotland | 211th 2025 | 18 | 1 in 994 |
| Ontario province | 222nd 2024 | 54 | about 1 in 1,009 |
| Sweden | 234th 2025 | 34 | about 1 in 1,181 |
| Northern Ireland | 259th 2025 | 6 | 1 in 1,214 |
| Berlin city | 277th 2023 | 11 | about 1 in 1,319 |
| Switzerland | 293rd 2025 | 24 | 1 in 1,416 |
| Norway | 315th 2025 | 11 | 1 in 1,981 |
| Cologne city | 419th 2023 | 2 | about 1 in 3,072 |
| Quebec province | 500th 2025 | 9 | about 1 in 2,889 |
| France | 1810th 2025 | 15 | 1 in 19,120 |
| Leipzig city | 344th 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 2,624 |
| Bonn city | 382nd 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 3,015 |
Rare, below the listed names: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, New Zealand, Rostock, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) (Spain); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); SA Attorney-General's Department, Births, Deaths and Marriages (data.sa.gov.au) (South Australia); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); NISRA (Northern Ireland); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
Isabel came into use from Spanish, through Old Occitan Elisabel and Latin Elisabeth, from Hebrew Elishéva, 'my God is an oath'. It is a twin of Elizabeth.
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It has three syllables, IZ-uh-bel. Bella and Belle are the natural short forms, Isabella and Isabelle are close relatives, and Isobel and Ishbel are variant spellings.
Isabel ranks high in Italy and is used in Spain and the Netherlands, and in the English-speaking world it appears in South Australia, Ireland and British Columbia. The Ontario and British Columbia records place its peak in 2007, and it is now falling in slightly more places than it is rising.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- IZ-uh-bel, 3 syllables
- Meaning
my God is an oath
- Origin
- Hebrew
Etymology
From Spanish Isabel, from Old Occitan Elisabel, from Latin Elisabeth, from Ancient Greek Ἐλισάβετ (Elisábet), from Hebrew אֱלִישֶׁבַע (Elishéva, “my God is an oath”). Doublet of Elizabeth.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 4 of 20 regions, falling in 7.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 110 | 122 | 138 | 142 | 136 | 133 | 147 | 145 | 169 | 184 |
| Scotland | 413 | 237 | 415 | 322 | 544 | 339 | 303 | 482 | 431 | 211 |
| Northern Ireland | 353 | 215 | 263 | 333 | 298 | 354 | 328 | 253 | 259 | |
| Ireland | 95 | 111 | 99 | 89 | 136 | 110 | 105 | 95 | 94 | 127 |
| Ontario | 106 | 114 | 146 | 95 | 116 | 110 | 117 | 133 | 222 | |
| British Columbia | 103 | 96 | 130 | 115 | 128 | 117 | 99 | 132 | ||
| New South Wales | 87 | 92 | 90 | 94 | ||||||
| Victoria | 79 | 95 | 100 | 87 | ||||||
| South Australia | 79 | 74 | 81 | 96 | ||||||
| New Zealand | 83 | 88 | ||||||||
| Quebec | 655 | 915 | 514 | 547 | 720 | 883 | 500 | |||
| France | 1716 | 1467 | 1989 | 1668 | 1633 | 2509 | 1957 | 1521 | 1523 | 1810 |
| The Netherlands | 61 | 84 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 79 | 91 | 104 | 89 | |
| Austria | 132 | 130 | 146 | 163 | 168 | 176 | 181 | 209 | 250 | 187 |
| Switzerland | 258 | 194 | 269 | 243 | 262 | 225 | 255 | 197 | 198 | 293 |
| Berlin | 104 | 133 | 142 | 233 | 232 | 275 | 219 | 277 | ||
| Munich | 66 | 70 | 96 | 85 | 102 | 137 | 200 | 116 | 127 | 145 |
| Cologne | 192 | 82 | 93 | 206 | 134 | 145 | 143 | 419 | ||
| Bonn | 81 | 83 | 168 | 102 | 132 | 155 | 99 | 176 | 115 | 382 |
| Leipzig | 192 | 149 | 378 | 191 | 164 | 157 | 215 | 344 | ||
| Rostock | 105 | 107 | 134 | 199 | 90 | 197 | 187 | |||
| Norway | 194 | 147 | 222 | 208 | 262 | 284 | 220 | 206 | 239 | 315 |
| Sweden | 163 | 164 | 210 | 228 | 248 | 325 | 267 | 270 | 306 | 234 |
| Spain | 62 | 61 | 62 | 61 | 66 | 65 | 59 | 60 | 62 | |
| Catalonia | 172 | 141 | 170 | 132 | 149 | 168 | 178 | 167 | 149 | 156 |
| Italy | 50 | 36 | 34 | 33 | 29 | 26 | 24 | 18 | 17 | |
| Poland | 500 | 437 | 496 | 507 | 520 | 422 | 516 | 540 | 714 | |
| Slovenia | 152 | 199 | 157 | 179 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 184 | 271 | 107.0 |
| 2024 | 169 | 294 | 114.0 |
| 2023 | 145 | 341 | 132.9 |
| 2022 | 147 | 333 | 126.4 |
| 2021 | 133 | 374 | 136.5 |
| 2020 | 136 | 366 | 136.4 |
| 2019 | 142 | 351 | 125.3 |
| 2018 | 138 | 381 | 132.2 |
| 2017 | 122 | 450 | 150.5 |
| 2016 | 110 | 514 | 167.3 |
| 2015 | 110 | 518 | 168.2 |
| 2014 | 92 | 608 | 198.3 |
| 2013 | 85 | 645 | 209.1 |
| 2012 | 76 | 774 | 240.3 |
| 2011 | 66 | 857 | 266.7 |
| 2010 | 58 | 1,057 | 329.2 |
| 2009 | 51 | 1,196 | 381.6 |
| 2008 | 50 | 1,217 | 385.4 |
| 2007 | 45 | 1,270 | 414.9 |
| 2006 | 45 | 1,281 | 428.1 |
| 2005 | 47 | 1,232 | 427.4 |
| 2004 | 49 | 1,174 | 410.7 |
| 2003 | 46 | 1,120 | 401.9 |
| 2002 | 59 | 891 | 333.2 |
| 2001 | 68 | 741 | 276.5 |
| 2000 | 69 | 752 | 275.3 |
| 1999 | 77 | 691 | 245.3 |
| 1998 | 96 | 544 | 188.1 |
| 1997 | 108 | 468 | 159.6 |
| 1996 | 104 | 455 | 153.7 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Isabel in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 2003. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2007, at 249.9 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Isabel per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 2007 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Isabel
1 in 577 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Isabel.
1 in 240 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Isabel.
1 in 126 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Isabel.
1 in 271 in Ireland
1 in 660 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Isabel.
1 in 228 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Isabel.
1 in 221 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Isabel.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Isabel.
1 in 754 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Isabel.
1 in 728 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Isabel.
Middle names for Isabel
1 in 71 in Scotland
Isabel Olivia
3-4 beats · initials IO
Changes the beat after Isabel: 3 syllables, then 4 syllables.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Isabel Charlotte
3-2 beats · initials IC
Changes the beat after Isabel: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 86 in Ireland
Isabel Sophie
3-2 beats · initials IS
Changes the beat after Isabel: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Isabel Grace
3-1 beats · initials IG
Changes the beat after Isabel: 3 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 95 in Northern Ireland
Isabel Anna
3-2 beats · initials IA
Changes the beat after Isabel: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 154 in Ireland
Isabel Emma
3-2 beats · initials IE
Changes the beat after Isabel: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 197 in Ireland
Isabel Alice
3-2 beats · initials IA
Changes the beat after Isabel: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 88 in Scotland
Isabel Amelia
3-4 beats · initials IA
Changes the beat after Isabel: 3 syllables, then 4 syllables.
Same style as Isabel
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 99 in Scotland
92% alike: moves with Isabel across countries and decades.
1 in 325 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Isabel across countries and decades.
1 in 728 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Isabel across countries and decades.
1 in 228 in Northern Ireland
92% alike: moves with Isabel across countries and decades.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
92% alike: moves with Isabel across countries and decades.
1 in 660 in Ireland
91% alike: moves with Isabel across countries and decades.
1 in 729 in Northern Ireland
91% alike: moves with Isabel across countries and decades.
1 in 146 in Northern Ireland
91% alike: moves with Isabel across countries and decades.
Famous people named Isabel
Isabel Allende, Isabel Perón, Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, Isabel of Aragon, Isabel Lucas, Isabel Coixet, Isabel dos Santos and Isabel May.
Show all 8Show less
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Chilean writer (born 1942)
-
First female president of Argentina from 1974 to 1976 born 1931
Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil
Princess Imperial of the Empire of Brazil (1846-1921)
-
Queen consort of Portugal (1470-1498)
-
Australian actress and model born 1985
-
Spanish film director and screenwriter born 1960
-
Angolan businesswoman (born 1973)
-
American actress (born 2000)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Isabel
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Isabel?
Her best rank is No. 17 in Italy in 2024, about 1 in 110 girls. She is in the published lists of 22 of our 40 regions.
What does Isabel mean?
Wiktionary glosses Isabel as "my God is an oath".
How do you pronounce Isabel?
IZ-uh-bel, with 3 syllables.
Is Isabel getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 4 of 20 regions, falling in 7.
Which sister names go with Isabel?
The deck's top five sisters for Isabel: Naomi, Leah, Hannah, Sarah and Rebecca. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.