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Isabel

Girl name · 487 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Isabel: 487 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 20 births in 1974.

The name Isabel is a Spanish and Portuguese variant of Elizabeth, ultimately from the Hebrew *Elisheva*, meaning "God is my oath" or "God's promise." Perhaps its most famous bearer was Isabella I of Castile, the 15th-century queen who funded Christopher Columbus's voyages and unified Spain. Her patronage led to the naming of countless places in the Americas, most notably the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, originally called La Española, and the city of Isabela in the Dominican Republic. Isabel remains a classic, enduring choice in Scotland, consistently popular since the 1970s, with the charming Scottish diminutive Isobel offering a more locally flavored variant.