How to say it
IS · a · belle
/ˈɪz.ə.bɛl/
Feminine
Isabelle
God is my oath
What it means
French form of Elizabeth, traveling through Provençal and Spanish Isabel back into French. Same root as Isabel and Isabella; the French Isabelle has a silent final E and is steady across French-speaking traditions.
Isabelle is the French form of the same root as Isabel (Spanish), Isabella (Italian), and ultimately Elizabeth (English) — from the Hebrew Elisheva. The French Isabelle has been used for queens (Isabella of France, daughter of Philip IV) and writers (Isabelle Allende, who uses the Spanish form). Isabelle Huppert (the French actress, The Piano Teacher) and Hugo's Isabelle in The Invention of Hugo Cabret give modern English-language anchors. The English-speaking US has used Isabelle in earnest since the 1990s. It's been in the US top 200 since 2007. Common shorts: Belle, Bella, Izzy.
Popularity over time
peaked at #79 in 2007, currently #166 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Isabel (Spanish, no E), Isabella (Italian, double L + A), Isabelle (French, silent E) are all the same name in different traditions. Pick by family.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Isabelle Huppert French actress, Elle and The Piano Teacher
Spelling variants
- Isabel
- Isabella
Names with the same feeling
See Isabelle from another angle
By meaning
By style