Isabelle
Say it: IZ-a-bel
GirlMeans a form of Elizabeth, "my God is an oath"8 letters3 syllables
#34
in Ireland (2025)
#35 with spellings combined
121
babies in 2025
#26
best rank (2010)
4,302
babies since 1971
Down 9
10-year rank change
Isabelle through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 121 | #35 |
| 2024 | 120 | #36 |
| 2023 | 132 | #33 |
| 2022 | 178 | #28 |
| 2021 | 147 | #39 |
| 2020 | 128 | #41 |
| 2019 | 172 | #33 |
| 2018 | 189 | #26 |
| 2017 | 197 | #26 |
| 2016 | 202 | #28 |
| 2015 | 224 | #26 |
| 2014 | 223 | #26 |
| 2013 | 207 | #31 |
| 2012 | 252 | #26 |
| 2011 | 265 | #27 |
| 2010 | 275 | #26 |
| 2009 | 233 | #32 |
| 2008 | 190 | #41 |
| 2007 | 167 | #43 |
| 2006 | 129 | #50 |
| 2005 | 98 | #62 |
| 2004 | 72 | #76 |
| 2003 | 51 | #100 |
| 2002 | 64 | #77 |
| 2001 | 46 | #106 |
| 2000 | 32 | #128 |
| 1999 | 21 | #171 |
| 1998 | 22 | #159 |
| 1997 | 26 | #176 |
| 1996 | 20 | #204 |
| 1995 | 19 | #205 |
| 1994 | 12 | #268 |
| 1993 | 10 | #300 |
| 1992 | 7 | #364 |
| 1991 | 6 | #393 |
| 1990 | 7 | #357 |
| 1989 | 7 | #353 |
| 1988 | 6 | #381 |
| 1984 | 4 | #459 |
| 1982 | 6 | #399 |
| 1981 | 5 | #423 |
| 1980 | 4 | #483 |
| 1979 | 3 | #523 |
| 1971 | 3 | #466 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Isabelle mean?
A form of Elizabeth, "my God is an oath"
French, from Isabel, the medieval Spanish form of Elizabeth.
Say it right
IZabel
The story of Isabelle
Isabelle is the French spelling of Isabel, which grew up in medieval Spain as a form of Elizabeth. Elizabeth itself comes from the Hebrew Elisheba, understood as “my God is an oath”. Isabel spread to England in the thirteenth century, when Isabella of Angoulême married King John.
In Ireland Isabelle was first recorded in 1971 and was rare until the late 1990s. Its best year was 2010, when it reached number 26 with 275 babies. It has settled a little lower since. Isabella and Isabel are counted by the CSO as separate names, so the family as a whole is more common than any one spelling suggests.
It is much less common in Northern Ireland, where it ranked 146th in 2025.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Isabelle (English proper noun)
- Wiktionary: Elizabeth (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Isabel
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
IzzyIssyBelle
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Isabelle | 121 | 4,302 |
In Northern Ireland
#146 in 2025 with 13 babies. Best rank #109 (2012); 261 babies since 2003.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.