Given name & surname
Isabel
“my God is bountiful”·“a giving woran”·“God is my oath”
In Spanish use, Isabel has a related form in Isela. One American interpretation is “a giving woran.” Isabel is a form of Elizabeth. “God is my oath” is the etymological interpretation given for Elisabeth, the same name in a different spelling. “My God is bountiful” is another recorded interpretation, but the two should be kept distinct rather than blended into one literal translation.
Original SpanishIsabela
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Spanish use, Isabel carries the interpretation “my God is bountiful.” In Spanish use, Isabel has a related form in Isela. One American interpretation is “a giving woran.” Isabel is a form of Elizabeth. “God is my oath” is the etymological interpretation given for Elisabeth, the same name in a different spelling. “My God is bountiful” is another recorded interpretation, but the two should be kept distinct rather than blended into one literal translation. In Spanish use, Isabel has a related form in Ysabel. In Spanish use, Ysabel carries the interpretation “my God is bountiful.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Spanish.
How it developed
Isabel is used as a form of Elizabeth. Isabel is a form of Elizabeth. The shared background comes through Elizabeth: English generally uses Elizabeth with a z, where many European languages retain Elisabeth with an s. Elisabeth is connected with Elisheba; its final element may have been reshaped through association with Hebrew shabbath, “sabbath.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Isabel is a form of Elizabeth. The history of Elizabeth gives this family its wider story. The New Testament Elisabeth is the mother of John the Baptist. English royal associations include Elizabeth I and, in the twentieth century, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and her daughter Elizabeth II. Elizabeth’s familiar forms developed along several paths, including Eliza, Beth, Bess, Betty, Libby and Lizzie.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Isabel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 133,977
- 1,827 boys · 132,150 girls
- Most popular year
- 2006
- 4,019 babies
- 2025
- 1,746
- #177 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −10%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,746 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 177 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 4,009 in 2006. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (273). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 129,711 as a first name in 2020; 1,078 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Isabel’s family of names
In Spanish usage, Isabel has a diminutive in Anabel. Isabel shares a linguistic root with Elizabeth. In Danish usage, Isabel has a related form in Isabella.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Isabel has relatives in 53 languages. Lines run from its Spanish roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 60
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Elizabethvariant · Spanish, English
- Isabelavariant · Spanish, Portuguese
- Isadiminutive · Spanish, Portuguese
- Iselavariant · Spanish
- Anabeldiminutive · Spanish
- Ysabelvariant · Spanish, English
- Chavenadiminutive · Spanish
- Chabeladiminutive · Spanish
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Isabellavariant · Portuguese, Dutch
- Isabellevariant · Portuguese, German
- Izabellavariant · Portuguese, Hungarian
- Libbydiminutive · English
- Izzydiminutive · English
- Isabellvariant · Swedish, Portuguese
- Isobelvariant · English, German
- Izabellevariant · Portuguese, English
- Izabelvariant · Portuguese
- Izabelavariant · Portuguese, Polish
- Sabellashort form
- Izzievariant
- Izabellvariant · Portuguese
- Ibbievariant
- Isobellevariant · English
- Isabeauvariant · French
- Isbelcontraction · English
- Isobellavariant
- Issabellikely variant
- Izabelevariant · Portuguese
- Isabelevariant · Portuguese
- Tibbydiminutive · English
- Isibellavariant
- Isibealvariant
- Ibbyvariant
- Issievariant
- Isobellvariant
- Ishbelvariant · Scottish Gaelic
- Isabelitavariant
- Izzdiminutive · English
- Izdiminutive · English
- Abingdiminutive · ceb
- Bingbingdiminutive · ceb
- Abetdiminutive · ceb
- Isangdiminutive · Tagalog
- Tibbiediminutive · English
- Belclipped form · English
- Isohelvariant
- Isobaelvariant
- Isahelvariant
- Isobailvariant
- Iseabalvariant
- Isahellevariant
- Isahellavariant
- Isibelavariant
- Isibellvariant
- Isibelvariant
- Isibellevariant
- Ibbivariant
- Ibvariant
- Issyvariant
- Beileagpet form
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 127
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Itzelrelated form
- Elisabethroot · Norwegian Bokmål, Latin
- Lisaequivalent
- Bettyequivalent
- Lizequivalent
- Lizaequivalent
- Betsyequivalent
- Tinaequivalent
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Ilseequivalent
- Lieslequivalent
- Ilsaequivalent
- ElspethScots
- Elisabetalso known as · Swedish, Norwegian Bokmål
- Betinaequivalent
- ElyzabethMiddle English
- Elizabetequivalent
- ElisabettaItalian
- Liseequivalent
- Isabeloequivalent
- Ilzeequivalent
- Sabelequivalent
- Liisaequivalent
- Isbellderivative · English
- Chavelarelated form
- Zabelrelated form
- Tineequivalent
- ElisabetaRomanian
- ElzbietaLithuanian
- Elizabetedoublet · Latvian, Portuguese
- YsobelEnglish
- ElizabetaSlovene, Albanian
- ElisbethGerman
- SabelaGalician
- IsebellaEnglish
- Ilzaequivalent
- Elžbietaequivalent
- Liesbethequivalent
- Lisabelequivalent
- Liisiequivalent
- Izabelėequivalent
- 伊麗莎白Chinese, Mandarin
- जाबेलderivative · kok
- Tibbeyderivative · English
- Tibbattsderivative · English
- Ibotsonderivative · English
- Ibitsonderivative · English
- Ibesonderivative · English
- Ibbisonderivative · English
- Ibbesonderivative · English
- Hippersonderivative · English
- Hibbersonderivative · English
- Ibbottderivative · English
- Ibbittderivative · English
- Hibbottderivative · English
- Hibbitderivative · English
- Hiblederivative · English
- Ebbettsderivative · English
- Изабеллаborrowing · Russian
- Tibbottsderivative · English
- Isibéalderivative · Irish
And 67 more.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Isabel
- Isabella I of Castilequeen of the Crown of Castile, from 1474 to 1504; first queen of a dynastically-united Spain, from 1479 to 1504 (1451–1504)
- Isabel AllendeChilean writer (born 1942)
- Isabel Perónfirst female president of Argentina from 1974 to 1976born 1931
- Isabella of Portugal16th-century Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Spain (1503-1539)
- Isabel, Princess Imperial of BrazilPrincess Imperial of the Empire of Brazil (1846-1921)
- Isabella of Aragon, Queen of Portugalqueen consort of Portugal (1470-1498)
- Elizabeth of PortugalQueen of Portugal (1271-1336)
- Chavela VargasMexican singer (1919–2012)
- Isabel LucasAustralian actress and modelborn 1985
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Isabel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elisa
“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls
Elise
“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls
Sadie
“princess; lady” · “princess”
>99% girls
Sady
“princess; lady”
>99% girls
Betsi
“God is my oath” · “My God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Adelaide
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Yelisabeth
“my God is bountiful”
—
Jezibel
>99% girls