Isabel

Spanish variation of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"

Isabel Origin and Meaning

The name Isabel is a girl's name of Spanish origin meaning "pledged to God".

Isabel derived from Elizabeth in southwest Europe during the Middle Ages. It was originally written as Elisabel, but the first syllable was dropped as it spread across the continent. In Spain and Portugal, Isabel and Elizabeth are considered to be variations of the same name, but they are treated as separate names in other European countries and the US.

The charming Isabel is hugely fashionable again, a century after its first wave of success. And it's easy to see why: it's ladylike (a la Isabel Archer in Henry James's Portrait of a Lady) and melodic, traditional yet slightly offbeat. Isabel sounds smart as well as pretty.

Two noted cultural namesakes are Chilean author Isabel Allende and painter Isabel Bishop, as well as Cuban-American fashion designer Isabel Toledo.

The only downside: with Isabella's recent popularity, there are so many other little Isabels, Isabelles, Isabellas, Belles, and Bellas, yours would be far from unique.

The Office's Angela Kinsley named her baby girl Isabel, and Annette Bening and Warren Beatty have a teen-aged Isabel.

Isabelle is the French version, Isabella the Italian one, and Isobel the Scottish spelling, which has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength.

Nifty nicknames include Izzy, Ibby, Isa and Belle.

# 164 in the US

Isabel Rank in US Top 1000

# 311 on Nameberry

Isabel Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Isabel Popularity

Famous People Named Isabel

  • Isabel the Catholic
    Queen of Castile, Leon, and Aragon, mother of Catherine of Aragon and Joanna I of Castile
  • Maria Isabel Francisca of Portugal
    Queen consort of Ferdinand VII of Spain
  • Isabel of Coimbra
    Queen consort of Afonso V of Portugal
  • Isabel Inês
    Princess Royal of Portugal, Duchess of Braganza, wife of Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, pretender to the defunct Portuguese throne
  • Isabel Cristina Leopoldina Augusta Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga
    Princess Imperial of Brazil
  • Isabel Allende (Llona)
    Chilean,American novelist
  • Maria Estela "Isabel" Martinez Cartas de Peron
    41st President of Argentina
  • Isabel Bayrakdarian
    Armenian,American operatic soprano
  • Isabel Godin des Odonais
    Peruvian Amazon explorer
  • Eloise Gwendolyn "Isabel" Sanford
    American actress
  • Isabel Lucas
    Australian actress
  • Isabel Toledo
    Cuban,American designer
  • Isabel Bishop
    American artist and painter
  • Isabel Bigley
    American actress
  • Isabel Neville
    Duchess of Clarence, daughter of Kingmaker Earl of Warwick
  • Isabel Luisa Josefa
    Princess of Beira; daughter of Peter II of Portugal
  • Isabel Maria Alberta Josefa Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Francisca de Paula e de Assis Teresa Adelaide Eulália Sofia Carolina of Braganza
    Infante of Portugal; daughter of Duke Miguel
  • Isabel Alfonsa María Teresa Antonia Cristina Mercedes Carolina Adelaida Rafaela of Bourbon
    Two Sicilies, Infanta of Spain; daughter of Prince Carlos
  • Isabel Maria da Conceição Joana Gualberta Ana Francisca de Assis Xavier de Paula de Alcântara Antónia Rafaela Micaela Gabriela Joaquina Gonzaga
    Infanta and Regent of Portugal
  • Maria Isabel "Chabeli" Iglesias
    Spanish socialite; daughter of singer Julio Iglesias and (Maria) Isabel Preysler
  • Rosario Isabel Dawson
    American actress
  • (Maria) Isabel Pantoja (Martin)
    singer
  • Isabel Briggs Myers
    American author and personality inventory creator
  • Isabel Gomez (b. 2000)
    daughter of actress Natasha Klauss and Victor Gomez
  • Isabel Crick (b. 2006)
    daughter of TV journalist Michael Crick
  • Isabel Ruby Lieberstein (b. 2008)
    daughter of actress Angela Kinsey and Warren Lieberstein
  • Isabel Veronica Mulroney (b. 2013)
    daughter of TV presenter Ben Mulroney and designer Jessica Brownstein
  • Isabel Totti (b. 2016)
    daughter of footballer Francesco Totti and TV host Ilary Blasi

Isabel in Pop Culture

  • Isabel O'Sullivan
    a main character in the "St Clare" book series by Enid Blyton
  • Isabel Archer
    main character in Henry James' "The Portrait of a Lady"
  • Isabel Cantelli
    main character in 'Goddess of Legend' by PC Cast
  • Isabel Evans
    character on TV's "Roswell"
  • Isabel Bradley
    character in W. Somerset Maugham's "The Razor's Edge"
  • Isabel Gardner
    main character in "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
  • Isabel "Belly" Conklin
    main character in Jenny Han's "The Summer I Turned Pretty"
  • Isabel Gutierrez
    character on TV's "The Simpsons"
  • Isabel
    character on TV's "Hannah Montana"
  • Isabel Malone
    character in novel "Mosquitoland"
  • Isabel Culpeper
    character in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater
  • Isabel "Isa" Castillo Flores
    character on TV's "Elena of Avalor"
  • Isabel Magnolia
    character from "Attack on Titan"
  • "Isabel
    " song by Frank Turner
  • Lady Isabel and the Elf
    Knight, medieval ballad
  • Isabel
    Julia Roberts's character in the film "Stepmom"
  • Isabel
    character in Pam Munoz Ryan's "Esperanza Rising".