Isobel

Gender: Girl
Say it: IZ-o-bel
Origin: Hebrew
UK rank, 2025: #240 for girls
US rank, 2025: #2,298 for girls

Isobel is a girls' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “my God is an oath”. In 2025 it ranked 240th for girls in the UK (214 babies) and 2,298th for girls in the US (79 babies).

What does Isobel mean?

Hebrew: Scottish spelling of Isabel

“my God is an oath”

A spelling of Isabel long favoured in Scotland.

Is Isobel a girl's or a boy's name?

Isobel is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 214 girls in the UK and 79 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Isobel in the UK?

Rank in 2025: 240th among girls
Babies in 2025: 214 about 1 in 1,300 girls
Five-year trend: Falling down 37% in five years
Same name in a class: 1.1% chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 214 girls in the UK were named Isobel, making it the 240th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 167th. Its busiest year was 2007, with 1,131 girls.

2025 had the fewest girls named Isobel since the records began in 1996.

Half of all the girls named Isobel in the UK since 1996 were born between 2002 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

In 2025, 1,418 girls in the UK were given Isobel or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #35, up from #240 for this spelling alone.

Isabelle 843
Isabel 295
Isobel 214
Isobelle 19
Isabell 17
Izabelle 13
Izabel 10
Izabele 7

Among girls in 2025, it was 246th in England and Wales, 198th in Scotland and 290th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2004 (#53).

1996Busiest: 1,131 in 20072025

Isobel in the UK, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	214	#240
2024	234	#223
2023	234	#222
2022	296	#194
2021	363	#160
2020	340	#167
2019	364	#153
2018	385	#153
2017	401	#154
2016	441	#141
2015	559	#116
2014	543	#117
2013	659	#95
2012	625	#106
2011	787	#88
2010	851	#82
2009	1,043	#70
2008	1,106	#68
2007	1,131	#62
2006	1,059	#61
2005	1,128	#55
2004	1,095	#60
2003	1,068	#57
2002	976	#61
2001	958	#58
2000	954	#60
1999	955	#61
1998	717	#85
1997	656	#92
1996	530	#101

How popular is Isobel in the US?

Rank in 2025: 2,298th among girls
Babies in 2025: 79 about 1 in 20,000 girls
Five-year trend: Steady down 8% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 79 girls in the US were named Isobel, making it the 2,298th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,991st. Its busiest year was 2016, with 129 girls. It first appears in the records in 1894.

Half of all the girls named Isobel in the US since 1880 were born between 1929 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 3,881 girls in the US were given Isobel or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #72, up from #2,298 for this spelling alone.

Isabelle 1,825
Isabel 1,746
Isabell 87
Isobel 79
Izabelle 69
Izabel 47
Izabell 14
Izzabelle 7

1894Busiest: 129 in 20162025

Isobel in the US, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	79	#2,298
2024	79	#2,327
2023	95	#2,050
2022	84	#2,228
2021	92	#2,071
2020	94	#1,991
2019	91	#2,070
2018	89	#2,130
2017	112	#1,828
2016	129	#1,660
2015	93	#2,088
2014	98	#2,010
2013	100	#1,968
2012	85	#2,205
2011	82	#2,274
2010	102	#1,959
2009	95	#2,119
2008	81	#2,380
2007	110	#1,886
2006	78	#2,396
2005	52	#3,048
2004	50	#3,067
2003	67	#2,436
2002	69	#2,328
2001	57	#2,631
2000	56	#2,628
1999	61	#2,402
1998	48	#2,753
1997	44	#2,773
1996	19	#5,060
1995	27	#3,873
1994	25	#4,110
1993	17	#5,413
1992	9	#8,726
1991	10	#7,980
1990	10	#7,874
1989	0	–
1988	7	#9,239
1987	0	–
1986	0	–
1985	0	–
1984	0	–
1983	0	–
1982	0	–
1981	0	–
1980	0	–
1979	0	–
1978	0	–
1977	0	–
1976	0	–
1975	0	–
1974	6	#7,678
1973	0	–
1972	0	–
1971	0	–
1970	7	#6,361
1969	0	–
1968	0	–
1967	0	–
1966	0	–
1965	7	#5,288
1964	0	–
1963	0	–
1962	5	#6,577
1961	0	–
1960	0	–
1959	6	#5,565
1958	10	#3,924
1957	0	–
1956	11	#3,695
1955	0	–
1954	5	#5,751
1953	0	–
1952	8	#4,122
1951	6	#4,832
1950	5	#5,299
1949	0	–
1948	8	#3,881
1947	13	#2,897
1946	11	#3,033
1945	6	#4,023
1944	5	#4,572
1943	8	#3,492
1942	8	#3,442
1941	10	#2,844
1940	12	#2,423
1939	6	#3,780
1938	9	#2,938
1937	12	#2,447
1936	17	#1,873
1935	18	#1,845
1934	16	#2,002
1933	28	#1,364
1932	34	#1,237
1931	17	#1,940
1930	33	#1,320
1929	29	#1,418
1928	46	#1,115
1927	43	#1,172
1926	37	#1,279
1925	49	#1,089
1924	36	#1,354
1923	47	#1,111
1922	42	#1,190
1921	58	#969
1920	35	#1,312
1919	35	#1,297
1918	40	#1,184
1917	42	#1,099
1916	69	#817
1915	38	#1,094
1914	42	#901
1913	29	#1,003
1912	35	#846
1911	19	#1,007
1910	17	#1,069
1909	13	#1,152
1908	21	#849
1907	12	#1,142
1906	18	#872
1905	17	#900
1904	12	#1,050
1903	13	#969
1902	10	#1,133
1901	6	#1,466
1900	7	#1,560
1899	7	#1,277
1898	9	#1,171
1897	6	#1,384
1896	5	#1,582
1895	10	#1,053
1894	5	#1,484

Nicknames for Isobel

Izzy 37 girls in the UK in 2025
Issy
Bel

Names like Isobel

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Madeleine, Ellie, Naomi, Abigail, Sophie, Isabella, Hannah, Eleanor, Emma, Leah, Lucy, Lydia

Other spellings of Isobel

Isabelle, Isabel, Isobelle, Isabell, Izabelle, Izabel, Izabele, Izabell, Izzabelle

Names related to Isobel

Isabela, Isobella, Ishbel, Isabele, Izobel, Isbella

More Hebrew names

Noah, Elijah, James, Jack, Mia, Ava, Jude, Ezra, Benjamin, Isaac, Jacob, Ethan, Daniel, Samuel, Elias, Mateo

Every Hebrew name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Isobel: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/isobel, updated 20 October 2026.