Girl · #7 in 2026

Isabella

Isabella or Isabela is a feminine given name, the Latinate and Italian form of Isabel, the Spanish form, Isabelle, the French form, and Isobel, the Scottish form of the name Elizabeth. All are ultimately derived from the Hebrew Elisheba. Isabella has been in wide use in the Anglosphere since the 1700s and has been a popular name in recent years.

  • Italian
  • German
  • English
  • Swedish
Current Rank
#7
Peak Rank
#1 (2010)
Total Babies
427K
5-Yr Trend
-18%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2010
Peak Year
#1
Peak Rank
427K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Isabella

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Isabella or Isabela is a feminine given name, the Latinate and Italian form of Isabel, the Spanish form, Isabelle, the French form, and Isobel, the Scottish form of the name Elizabeth. All are ultimately derived from the Hebrew Elisheba. Isabella has been in wide use in the Anglosphere since the 1700s and has been a popular name in recent years.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Italian
  • German
  • English
  • Swedish
  • Danish
  • Norwegian
  • Finnish
  • Dutch
  • Romanian
  • Icelandic

The Story of Isabella

Isabella first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 50 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2010, when 22,935 Isabellas were born — ranking #1 that year. As of 2026, Isabella ranks #7 for baby girls with 10,476 births, falling sharply (-18%). In total, more than 427K Isabellas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Isabella

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Isabella. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Notable people named Isabella

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Queen Isabella (disambiguation) , the name of many queens
  • Isabella of Aragon (disambiguation)
  • Isabella of Castile (disambiguation)
  • Isabella of France (disambiguation)
  • Isabella of Spain (disambiguation)
  • Isabella, Countess of Atholl , ban-mormaer of Atholl, Scotland, 1211–1236/7
  • Isabella, Countess of Menteith (1217–1272)
  • Isabella of Mar (c. 1277–1296), first wife of Robert the Bruce

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Where is Isabella most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

  • China
    26%
  • Romania
    21%
  • Italy
    21%
  • Austria
    16%
  • United States
    16%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Isabella

Phonetically similar names — useful when Isabella is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Isabella

What does the name Isabella mean?
Isabella or Isabela is a feminine given name, the Latinate and Italian form of Isabel, the Spanish form, Isabelle, the French form, and Isobel, the Scottish form of the name Elizabeth. All are ultimately derived from the Hebrew Elisheba. Isabella has been in wide use in the Anglosphere since the 1700s and has been a popular name in recent years.
What is the origin of the name Isabella?
Isabella has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Italian, German, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Romanian, Icelandic.
How popular is Isabella in 2026?
In 2026, Isabella ranks #7 among girls' names in the U.S., with 10,476 babies given the name that year.
When was Isabella most popular?
Isabella reached its peak popularity in 2010, ranking #1 that year with 22,935 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Isabella most popular?
Isabella has historically been most popular in Alaska, Arizona, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Isabella.
Is Isabella a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Isabella is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Isabella?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Isabella include Mary, Emma, Emily. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Isabella?
Common variants and related forms of Isabella include Bell, Bella, Belle, Ibbie, Iisa, Isa. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Isabella

Isabella is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 427K births in the dataset. Isabella's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #1. Use the chart and map above to compare Isabella's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.