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Isabel

girl name
Origin
Hebrew
Syllables
3
Peak era
2000s/2020s
Today
▬ Steady

Torn between Isabel and another name? Compare them side by side →

Meaning

a medieval Occitan form of Elizabeth, traditionally "God is my oath"

Goes by Belle, Izzy. See all nicknames

The story

Isabel's familiar Spanish sound has a medieval Occitan beginning. It developed there as a form of Elizabeth, then spread through Spain, Portugal and France. Through Elizabeth, its Hebrew root is traditionally rendered "God is my oath." Medieval royalty used the name widely; Isabel of Castile, often called Isabella in English, gives it a particularly visible historical bearer. Her portrait in the Prado identifies her as queen of Castile and daughter of another Isabel, Isabel of Portugal. Centuries later, Isabel Allende put the name on a very different kind of family record. In her own account, news that her grandfather was dying reached her in Caracas. Unable to return to Chile, she began a letter to him and kept writing at night in her kitchen. That private farewell grew into The House of the Spirits, carrying a family's imagined world to readers far beyond the kitchen.

More names with stories →

Isabel across languages

One shared root links 26 names across 6 languages.

Shared root: from Hebrew Elisheva, "my God is an oath"

The constellation

IsabelSpanishElizabethEnglishElisabethGermanIsabellaItalianIsabelleFrenchIsobelScottish
20 more branches of this family
ElizaEnglish · short formEliseFrench · short formElyseEnglish · variantElisaItalian · short formElsaGerman · short formElsieScottish · diminutiveBethEnglish · short formBettyEnglish · diminutiveBettieEnglish · variantBetsyEnglish · diminutiveBetteEnglish · diminutiveBessieEnglish · diminutiveLizaEnglish · short formLizzieEnglish · diminutiveLisaEnglish · short formLizEnglish · short formLizbethEnglish · short formLizetteEnglish · diminutiveLibbyEnglish · diminutiveIsabellGerman · variant

Ways to honor Elizabeth →

How popular is Isabel around the world?

In the United States, 10,876 babies were named Isabel between 2020 and 2025. In Spain, 237,075 residents are named Isabel, the 8th most common name among women, with a mean age of 60.3 years.

Isabel is on the official records of the United States, Spain, Mexico City, Argentina, Chile, South Australia, Brazil, Ireland, New Zealand, Montevideo, England and Wales, Austria, Norway, Puerto Rico, Canada, Scotland and France.

Isabel crosses languages: it is in the latest top 300 of an English-speaking birth record, of a Spanish-speaking one and of Brazil’s 2022 census, which counts people of every age. The full lists: English and Spanish · English and Portuguese · Spanish and Portuguese

United States

1 in 2,000

In the United States, 10,876 babies were named Isabel between 2020 and 2025.

1890speak 2000s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Isabel peaked in the 2000s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

Spain

1 in 190

In Spain, 237,075 residents are named Isabel, the 8th most common name among women, with a mean age of 60.3 years.
In Spain, Isabel was the 62nd most common name among girls born in 2024.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

See the full list for Spain →

Mexico City City

1 in 630

In Mexico City, there were 187 registrations of Isabel in 2022.

peak 20002022

share of that year’s registrations in the city

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023 (14 registrations through 3 Mar) is excluded as partial. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

See the full list for Mexico City →

Argentina

1 in 830

In Argentina, 797 newborns were given the name Isabel in 2024.

2012peak 2022

share of that year’s name registrations

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

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Chile

1 in 860

In Chile, 208 girls were registered as Isabel in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.

1920peak 19532021

share of that year’s name registrations

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

See the full list for Chile →

South Australia

1 in 920 · 2017

In South Australia, 20 girls were registered as Isabel in 2017.

1944peak 2009

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

See the full list for South Australia →

Brazil

1 in 960

At the 2022 census, 212,274 people in Brazil were named Isabel, the 151st most common name, with a median age of 51.
Among people named Isabel living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1960s than in any other decade.

1930speak 1960s2010s

people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth

The census also counted 5,864 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

See the full list for Brazil →

Ireland

1 in 1,500

In Ireland, 37 girls named Isabel were born in 2025, the 127th most common name among girls that year.

1964peak 20082025

share of that year’s name registrations

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

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New Zealand

1 in 1,700

In New Zealand, 33 girls named Isabel were registered in 2025.

peak 19092025

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time

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Montevideo City

1 in 2,100 · 2011

In Montevideo, 12 girls named Isabel were born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.

peak 19412011

share of that year’s births on record

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

See the full list for Montevideo →

England and Wales

1 in 2,200

In England and Wales, 271 girls named Isabel were born in 2025, the 184th most common name among girls that year.

1996peak 20062025

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

See the full list for England and Wales →

Austria

1 in 2,400

In Austria, 32 girls named Isabel were born in 2025, the 187th most common name among girls that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

1984peak 20022025

share of that year’s births on record

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

See the full list for Austria →

Norway

1 in 2,400 · register 2026

In Norway, 11 girls were given the name Isabel in 2025.

1945peak 2006

share of the girls on the register for that year, SSB’s own figure

People who have or have had a Norwegian ID number, emigrants left out, from Statistics Norway’s name statistics (release of January 2026): by year of birth for 1945–2020 (everyone born that year who was ever registered in Norway, including people who registered later and people who have since died) and by year of naming from 2021; only first names carried by 200 or more living people are listed, counts under 4 are withheld, and SSB merges spellings that differ only by letters outside the Norwegian alphabet. The shares are SSB’s own, of the people of that sex and year in that count; the 2025 figure counts the children named that year, and no year is a count of births. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 10467 (updated 2026-01-28)

See the full list for Norway →

Puerto Rico

1 in 2,600

In Puerto Rico, 7 babies were named Isabel in 2025, and 873 have carried the name since 1998.

1998peak 20072025

share of that year’s births on record

First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)

See the full list for Puerto Rico →

Canada

1 in 3,000

In Canada, 121 girls named Isabel were born in 2024, the 233rd most common name among girls that year.

1991peak 20072024

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

See the full list for Canada →

Scotland

1 in 6,500

In Scotland, 7 girls named Isabel were registered in 2024, the 431st most common name among girls that year.

1974peak 2017

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

See the full list for Scotland →

France

1 in 43,000

In France, about 15 girls named Isabel were born in 2025, ranked 2,024th among girls that year.

1900peak 19722025

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

See the full list for France →

New South Wales

outside the top 100

Isabel is not in the 2025 top 100 for New South Wales.

2000peak 20082025

share of that year’s top-100 registrations

New South Wales (not all of Australia) publishes only each year’s 100 most popular names per sex, so a missing year means below that top 100, not rare. Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, popular baby names

See the full list for New South Wales →

Poland

last on record 2024

Isabel is not on the 2025 record for Poland, where names given fewer than 2 times in a year are withheld at source.

2000peak 20112025

share of that year’s name registrations

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

See the full list for Poland →

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

When you meet Isabel

Most people given the name Isabel in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Isabel

Elizabeth Anna Eva Sara Elise Hanna

Keep exploring

Names like Isabel · Names that go with Isabel · Nicknames for Isabel · Middle names for Isabel · Mexican American baby names · Names of real princesses · Names of poets and writers

Name trails: explore connections from Isabel →

The Isabel deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Isabel truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Isabel fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

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