Isabel is a traditional and elegant given name of Spanish origin, derived from the Hebrew name Elizabeth. It means "God is my oath," or more interpretively, "consecrated to God." The name Isabel has been popular among royalty throughout history, with notable bearers including Isabel of Portugal, who became Queen Consort of Spain in the 15th century. In literature and arts, Isabel has been featured prominently, perhaps most notably as the protagonist in Gabriel García Márquez's novel "Love in the Time of Cholera." The name is composed of five letters: I-S-A-B-E-L, with the 's' being silent, contributing to its melodic sound when spoken aloud.
The name Isabel experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the past century, with a notable peak between 1924 and 1936 when it consistently ranked among the top 50 names for newborn girls each year. However, it began to decline in popularity after World War II, dropping out of the top 1000 names by the late 1980s. Since then, it has remained relatively uncommon, with fewer than ten births per year recorded since the early 2000s. Overall, there were a total of 1827 girls named Isabel born between 1904 and 2022.