Isabel

Isabel is a female name of Spanish origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of Elisabeth (ultimately Hebrew Elisheba). Arising in the 12th century, it became popular in England in the 13th century following the marriage of Isabella of Angoulême to the king of England. Today it is sometimes abbreviated to Isa. Etymology This set of names is a Spanish variant of the Hebrew name Elisheba through Latin and Greek represented in English and other European languages as Elisabeth. These names are derived from the Latin and Greek renderings of the Hebrew name based on both etymological and contextual evidence (the use of Isabel as a translation of the name of the mother of John the Baptist). The variant form originated through the loss of the first syllable and the replacement of final with (as does not appear word-finally in standard Spanish).