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Dictionary of Medieval Names
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Isabel f. Old Provençal Elisabel 'Elizabeth'.

The name of a 12th C queen of France, a 12th-13th C queen of Jerusalem, a 13th C French saint, a 13th C queen of Navarre, a 13th C queen consort of Aragon, a 13th C queen consort of France, a 13th C queen consort of England, a 13th C queen of Jerusalem, a 13th C Holy Roman empress, a 13th c queen of Armenia, two 13th C queens of Cyprus, a 13th C Hungarian saint, two 14th C queens consort of England, a 14th C queen consort of Germany, a 14th C queen consort of Portugal and saint, a 14th-15th C queen consort of Castile, Leon, and Aragon, a 14th-15th C queen consort of France, a 15th C queen consort of Portugal, a 15th C queen consort of Castile and Leon, a 16th C queen consort of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, a 16th C queen consort of Hungary, and a 16th C Holy Roman empress and queen of Spain and Italy.

Though in origin a form of Elizabeth, and sometimes even by the 17th C still used as a pet name of it in England, it very quickly became considered a distinct name.

England
Latin
● 1189 Isabel (nom) GASurv p. 118, Isabele (nom) ibid. p. 138, Ysabel (nom) ibid. p. 156; 1256 Isabella (nom) EARNb p. 4; 1279–80 Isabella (nom) WaHR-SK p. 40, Isabelle (gen) ibid. p. 51; 1296 Isabellam (acc) RCS-1 p. 94b, Isabelli (gen) ibid. p. 94b; 1300 Isabella (nom) ProcSuf-vol3 p. 240; 1377 Isabella (nom) FenPT-2 p. 4, Isabelle (gen) ibid. p. 4; 1381 Hesabel (nom) Suffolk1381 p. 96, Hisabella (nom) ibid. p. 96, Hissabel (nom) ibid. p. 96, Isabell (nom) ibid. p. 119, Isabella (nom) FenPT-2 p. 6, Suffolk1381 p. 68, Issabella (abl) ibid. p. 89; 1431 Isabellæ (dat) WillsInv LVI; 1435 Isabellæ (dat) ibid. LVII; 1553 Isabella (nom) StMartF p. 57; 1559 Isabell (nom) Chst-1 p. 10; 1559/60 Isabella (nom) ibid. p. 10; 1572 Izabella (nom) ibid. p. 12
◑ 1377 Ibota (nom) FenPT-2 p. 4
Middle English
● 1411 ysabell EEW p. 19; 1415 Isabell ibid. p. 23, Isabelle ibid. p. 24; 1419–20 Isabell ibid. p. 41; 1420 Isabell ibid. p. 52; 1431–32 Isabel ibid. p. 91; 1434–35 Isabell ibid. p. 103; 1439 Isabell ibid. p. 116
Early Modern English
● 1475 Isabell Bar-in-El p. 5; 1516 Esebell WillsInv LXXV; 1524 Isabell SRS-XXI p. 4; 1530 Esabell LIWill-III p. 17, Isabell ibid. p. 4, Issabell ibid. p. 85; 1531 Isabel SRS-XXI p. 8, Isabell ibid. p. 9; 1533 Isabell WillsInv LXXXII; 1534 Isabella DU-DSMMar; 1540 Esbel BarnstapleBap p. 2, Esbell ibid. p. 1, Isabell WillsInv LXXXVI; 1543 Essabell BarnstapleBap p. 3, Isabel WillsInv XC; 1544 Esbell BarnstapleBap p. 4; 1545 Esbell ibid. p. 4; 1546 Esbell ibid. p. 5; 1547 Esbell ibid. p. 5, Isbell HAmar-vol9 p. 115, Ysabel BarnstapleBap p. 5, Yssabyll WillsInv XCIV; 1548 Esbell BarnstapleBap p. 6; 1549 Issable StAnthonlin p. 7; 1550 Isabel WillsInv XCV, Isabell ibid. XCV; 1551 Esbell BarnstapleBap p. 6; 1552 Esbell ibid. p. 7; 1553 Isbell ibid. p. 8; 1555 Isbell ibid. p. 9, Izabell bruton-vol1 p. 2; 1558 Isabell DU-DSMMar, Isbell SOmar-vol9 p. 1, StAnthonlin p. 12; 1559 Isabell BUmar-vol2 p. 60, DU-DSMMar, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 147; 1560 Isabell DU-DSMMar, SOmar-vol9 p. 2, Isbell DU-DSMMar, SOmar-vol9 p. 2, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 3; 1561 Esbell BarnstapleBap p. 11; 1562 Isabell BUmar-vol1 p. 1; 1563 Isobell BUmar-vol9 p.3; 1564 Isabell COmar-vol2 p. 48; 1565 Isabell Bar-in-El p. 11; 1565/6 Isbell BEmar-vol2 p. 2; 1569 Esabel BUmar-vol2 p. 61, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 5; 1571 Isabell Bar-in-El p. 17; 1572 Isabel BUmar-vol2 p.61, Isabell CAmar-vol1 p. 2, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 5; 1574 Isabell Bar-in-El p. 23; 1575 Isabill BUmar-vol1 p. 91; 1577 Isabel BUmar-vol2 p. 62, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 6; 1578 Isobell ibid. p. 6; 1580 Isabel BUmar-vol2 p. 63, Isabell ibid. p. 117; 1581 Issable StAnthonlin p. 28; 1583 Isabel BUmar-vol2 p. 63, Isabell ibid. p. 117, Izabell OrpingtonKe p. 6; 1585 Isabel BUmar-vol2 p. 64, Isabell ibid. p. 117, Bar-in-El p. 14, CAmar-vol1 p. 129; 1586 Ezabell OrpingtonKe p. 7, Isabele BUmar-vol1 p. 2, Isabell Bar-in-El p. 16; 1588 Isabell ibid. p. 13; 1590 Isabel BUmar-vol2 p. 65, Isabell Bar-in-El p. 31, Isbell BUmar-vol1 p. 27; 1591 Isbell HAmar-vol9 p. 50, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 8; 1592 Esbell CAmar-vol1 p. 5, Isabell BEmar-vol2 p.3, Isbell StAnthonlin p. 35, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 8; 1593 Isbell StAnthonlin p. 36; 1594 Esabell CAmar-vol1 p. 5, Isabel BUmar-vol2 p. 65, Isabell BEmar-vol2 p. 131, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 8; 1595 Isobell ibid. p. 9; 1596 Isabel DEmar-vol2 p. 34; 1597 Isbell BUmar-vol1 p. 27, Izabell bruton-vol1 p. 56; 1599 Isabell COmar-vol2 p. 50, Isbell BUmar-vol1 p. 27, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 10
◑ 1539 Bayll WillsInv LXXXV, Bell ibid. LXXXV, Beyll ibid. LXXXV
France
Latin
● 1135 Ysabel (nom) clairvaux-12thc 7; a1147 Ysabel (abl) ibid. 13; 1147 Isabel (abl) ibid. 14, Isabels (nom) ibid. 16; 1147x1162 Isabel (abl) ibid. 54, Isabele (abl) ibid. 55, Ysabel (nom) ibid. 52, Ysabele (abl) ibid. 55; 1169 Hisabel (nom) ibid. 136; 1238 Isabellis (gen) CartNDdOurscamp CXLV; 1241 Ysabella (abl) ibid. XVIII, Ysabellam (acc) ibid. XVIII, Ysabelle (gen) ibid. XVIII; 1258 Ysabella (nom) ArrestReg-volI XIX, Candlemas; 1260 Ysabelle (gen) ibid. XXIII, Ascension; 1277 Ysabella (nom) CartNDdOurscamp XXII; 1301 Isabelle (gen) MemPic-vol17 p. 253, Ysabeau (nom) ibid. p. 200, Ysabella (nom) ibid. p. 200
Old French
● 1296 Ysabel paris1296 p. 13, Yzabel ibid. p. 8, Yzabiau ibid. p. 18; 1301 Ysabel (obl) MemPic-vol17 p. 335 [p. 235], Ysabiaus (nom) ibid. p. 237; 1303 Ysabel (nom) ArchCambIII p. 153, Yssabel (nom) ibid. p. 152; 1313 Isabiau Paris1313 p. 21, Ysabel ibid. p. 54, Ysabiau ibid. p. 6
Middle French
● 1421 Isabel favier 268, Ysabeau ibid. 481, Ysabel ibid. 833; 1423 Ysabeau ibid. 51; 1438 Ysabeau ibid. 148; 1562 Isabeau RegPCC-1 p. 10; 1563 Isabeau ibid. p. 20, Ysabeau ibid. p. 36; 1564 Ysabeau ibid. p. 52; 1565 Ysabeau ibid. p. 109; 1566 Ysabeau ibid. p. 197; 1595 Yzabeau Toureille
◑ 1421 Bellon favier 988, Ysabelet ibid. 603
Italy
Latin
● 1265x1339 Yçabelli (gen) BBC-Berg 390; 1269 Ysabelli (gen) ibid. p. XLI; 1285 Ysabelle (gen) Perugia1285 p. 156; 1514 Isabella (nom) Rossi-StudiStoria p. 274; 1522x1532 Ysabella (nom) DSF p. 51, 12
Scotland
Latin
● 1392 Isabelle (dat) CartLevenax p. 11
Scots
● 1543 Isobella PGB; 1546 Isobella ibid.; 1548 Isobella ibid., Issabella ibid.; 1550 Isabella ibid.; c1550 Isbell CartNBer p. xxv; 1552 Isobella PGB; 1559 Isobella ibid.; 1564 Isobella ibid.; 1565 Isobella ibid.; 1567 Isobella ibid.; 1572 Isobella ibid.; 1574 Isobella ibid.; 1575 Isobella ibid.; 1576 Isobella ibid.; 1577 Isobella ibid.; 1578 Isobella ibid.; 1594 Isobella ibid.
Spain
Latin
● 1487 Isabel (nom) carbonell p. 11; 1488 Isabel (nom) ibid. p. 16; 1489 Isabel (nom) ibid. p. 29; 1490 Isabel (nom) ibid. p. 39, Isabelis (gen) ibid. p. 43; 1491 Isabel (nom) ibid. p. 53, Isabelis (gen) ibid. p. 61; 1492 Isabel (nom) ibid. p. 67
Catalan
● 1510 Ysabel valencia1510 3151
◑ 1510 Ysabet valencia1510 3402
Switzerland
Latin
● 14thCx1478 Ysabella (nom) Ob-SPVn (49)
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Isabel". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2016/1/name/Isabel.