Isobel
Feminine · “my God is an oath”
Isobel is the Scottish of Isabel, which is Elizabeth reshaped in Spain — my God is an oath, with the front worn away.
How old is the name Isobel?
Isobel first appears in US birth records in 1894 — 131 years ago. The typical Isobel alive today was born around 2006, making them about 19 years old. About 2,700 people named Isobel are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Isobel most popular?
Isobel peaked in 1916, reaching #817 nationally. Today it ranks #2298, 1,481 places below that high. See the whole 1916 chart.
Where it comes from
From Elisheva to Isobel
The story of Isobel
Elisabeth reached Spain and Provence and the El- was heard as the definite article and stripped away, leaving Isabel — a name that then became independent enough for Isabel and Elizabeth to be given to two different daughters. Scotland spells it Isobel. It appears in American records in current use.
Meaning
my God is an oath
Through Isabel, a medieval Occitan and Spanish reworking of Elisabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheva — el, 'God', and sheva, 'oath' or 'seven'. The initial El- was reinterpreted as the Spanish article and dropped. The chain is documented.
How the name formed
- Elisheva
- Elisabeth
- Isabel
- Isobel
Related forms: Isobel · Isabel · Isabelle
Pronouncing Isobel
IZ-uh-bel
Three syllables, stress on the first. Isobel and Isabel are said identically.
Nicknames for Isobel
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1894
- Most girls named
- 2017112 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #817reached in 1916
- Change vs 2023
- −16.8%79 in 2025, from 95
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Isobel in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Isobel in Scottish — same name
- Isabel in Spanish — spelling variant
- Isabelle in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, New York, Texas.
Isobels among us
people named Isobel are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 20,345 born in 2025 was named Isobel
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Alverda test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Isobel's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Alverda climbed just as high around 1901, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Alverda's path sketches the road Isobel is walking now.
Isobel sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Isobel is headed
Isobel should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
High confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Isobel beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Isobel in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- That the El- was mistaken for an article and dropped is a first-rate history.
- Izzy and Bel are two short forms, both with real records.
- The o spelling is genuinely Scottish rather than invented.
- Isabel and Isabelle are far commoner spellings.
- It will be respelled by other people constantly.
- Three syllables make it moderately long for everyday use.
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What they receive
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Isobel
Feminine · #2298 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Isobels are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,700 people named Isobel are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Isobel in 2025?
- Isobel ranks #2298 among US girl names in 2025, with 79 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Isobel?
- About 1 in every 20,345 US girls born in 2025 was named Isobel — 79 in all.
- Will my child share the name Isobel with classmates?
- Isobel will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Isobel
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Shyla#2298 · Skylah#2298 · Therese#2298 · Jennie#2298 · Shira#2298 · Jahzara#2298 · Emelyn#2298 · Khelani#2298
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Isobel? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Isobel and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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