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.
More on Wiktionary.
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
- #240among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 214about 1 in 1,300 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 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.
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).
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
- #2,298among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 79about 1 in 20,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 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.
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
More Hebrew names
Noah Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Elias Mateo
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.