Isabelle
Isabelle was the 166th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,825 babies. Its best year was 2007, when it ranked 79th with 4,106 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 72 places. More babies were named Isabelle in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning my God is an oath (French form of Isabel/Elizabeth) · French, Spanish, Hebrew
Say it IZ-uh-bel /ˈɪzəbɛl/
- Rank in 2025
- #166 girls, down 45 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,825girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20074,106 babies
- Total since 1880
- 107,782babies recorded
What does the name Isabelle mean?
Isabelle is the French form of Isabel, which began in medieval Spain and southern France as a form of Elizabeth; DMNES traces Isabel to Old Provençal Elisabel. Elizabeth goes back to Hebrew Elisheva, 'my God is an oath'. Wikipedia notes that Isabel became popular in England in the 13th century after the marriage of Isabella of Angoulême to King John. Isabella, Isobel and Izabelle are related forms.
Elisabel (Old Provençal, “Elizabeth”)אֱלִישֶׁבַע (Biblical Hebrew, “Elisheva, my God is an oath”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Isabel, Isabella, Isobel, Elizabeth, Belle, Izzy.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Isabelle', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Isabel', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Elizabeth', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wikipedia, 'Isabel', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Isabelle
The usual nicknames for Isabelle are Belle, Izzy and Bella. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Isabelle in the last five years, 136 were named Bella, against 32 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle · also for Isabella, Arabella, Annabelle | Traditional | #1,013 | 1,267 |
| Izzy · also for Isabella, Israel | Modern | #1,903 | 536 |
| Bella · also for Isabella, Arabella, Annabelle | Modern | #136 | 13,458 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Isabelles go by each one.
Isabelle popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 20 since 2004.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #166 | 1,825 |
| 2020 | #121 | 2,254 |
| 2010 | #105 | 2,899 |
| 2000 | #144 | 2,340 |
| 1990 | #1,046 | 171 |
| 1980 | #2,227 | 45 |
| 1970 | #1,641 | 57 |
| 1960 | #1,095 | 97 |
| 1950 | #875 | 103 |
| 1940 | #506 | 188 |
| 1930 | #316 | 437 |
| 1920 | #213 | 899 |
| 1910 | #177 | 389 |
| 1900 | #210 | 224 |
| 1890 | #189 | 156 |
| 1880 | #164 | 80 |
How popular is Isabelle, counting every spelling?
Isabelle is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #76 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #166 for Isabelle on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,708 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isabelle | 1,825 | #166 | 9,906 |
| Isabel | 1,746 | #177 | 9,100 |
| Izabel | 47 | #3,313 | 396 |
| Izabelle | 69 | #2,555 | 389 |
| Izabell | 14 | #7,640 | 77 |
| Izzabelle | 7 | #12,428 | 38 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Isabelle?
1,825 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Isabelle (0.51 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Isabelle born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Isabelle.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Isabelle?
About 84,100 people born in the US named Isabelle are alive today, with a median age of 17; half are between 10 and 23. That makes Isabelle mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Isabelle by state
How common Isabelle was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (4.9×), New Hampshire (3.9×), North Dakota (3.3×), Alaska (2.6×), District of Columbia (2.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Alabama, Texas, Mississippi.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Isabelle: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Isabelle, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Isabelle · Sibling names for Isabelle
Questions about the name Isabelle
What does Isabelle mean?
Isabelle means “my God is an oath (French form of Isabel/Elizabeth)” (French, Spanish, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Isabelle?
Isabelle was the 166th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,825 babies. Its best year was 2007, when it ranked 79th with 4,106 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 72 places. More babies were named Isabelle in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Isabelle a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Isabelle in the US.
Where is Isabelle most popular?
In 2021–2025, Isabelle was most common in Vermont (5.98 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Hampshire and North Dakota.