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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

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; 1279–80 Isabella (nom) WaHR-SK p. 40, Isabelle (gen) ibid. p. 51; 1300 Isabella (nom) ProcSuf-vol3 p. 240; 1381 Hesabel (nom) Suffolk1381 p. 96, Hisabella (nom) ibid. p. 96, Hissabel (nom) ibid. p. 96, Isabell (nom) ibid. p. 119, Isabella (nom) ibid. p. 68, Issabella (abl) ibid. p. 89
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
English
1530 Esabell LIWill-III p. 17, Isabell ibid. p. 4, Issabell ibid. p. 85; 1534 Isabella DU-DSMMar; 1540 Esbel BarnstapleBap p. 2, Esbell ibid. p. 1; 1543 Essabell ibid. p. 3; 1544 Esbell ibid. 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; 1548 Esbell ibid. p. 6; 1549 Issable StAnthonlin p. 7; 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; 1565/6 Isbell BEmar-vol2 p. 2; 1569 Esabel BUmar-vol2 p. 61, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 5; 1572 Isabel BUmar-vol2 p.61, Isabell CAmar-vol1 p. 2, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 5; 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, CAmar-vol1 p. 129; 1586 Ezabell OrpingtonKe p. 7, Isabele BUmar-vol1 p. 2; 1590 Isabel BUmar-vol2 p. 65, 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
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; 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 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; 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; 1595 Yzabeau Toureille
1421 Bellon favier 988, Ysabelet ibid. 603
Italy
Latin
1269 Ysabelli (gen) BBC-Berg 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
c1550 Isbell CartNBer p. xxv
Spain
Latin
1487 Isabel 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
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 2015, no. 2. http://dmnes.org/2015/2/name/Isabel.