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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.

The English diminutives Ib, Ibbot, and Ibot are witnessed in 1379 in the relational bynames Ibsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 18), Ibbotsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 156), and Ibotsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 28). These pet forms can also be diminutives of Elizabeth.

England
Latin
● 1189 Isabel (nom) GASurv p. 118, Isabele (nom) ibid. p. 138, Ysabel (nom) ibid. p. 156; 1222 Isabella (nom) StPaulDom p. 9; 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; 1329 Isabella (nom) PSS-CXIV 4c; 1331 Isabella (nom) ibid. 4e; 1340xc1450 Isabel (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 32, Isabell (nom) ibid. p. 34, Isabella (nom) ibid. p. 2, Isabelle (nom) ibid. p. 8, Issabella (nom) ibid. p. 40; 1377 Isabella (nom) FenPT-2 p. 4, Isabelle (gen) ibid. p. 4; 1379 Isabella (nom) WRYPT1 p. 2; 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; 1379 Ibbota (nom) WRYPT1 p. 7, Ibota (nom) ibid. p. 7
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; 1532–1533 Isabell CovGuild-2 p. 108; 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 WAmar-1 p. 108, WillsInv XCV; 1551 Esbell BarnstapleBap p. 6; 1551/2 Issabell RegIng p. 4; 1552 Esbell BarnstapleBap p. 7, Isabell RegIng p. 4; 1553 Isabell ibid. p. 4, Isbell BarnstapleBap p. 8; 1555 Isabell RegIng p. 4, Isbell BarnstapleBap p. 9; 1555/6 Issabell RegIng p. 4; 1555 Izabell bruton-vol1 p. 2; 1556 Issable PRThirsk p. 1; 1557 Isabell ibid. p. 2, Issabell ibid. p. 3; 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 Isabell RegIng p. 5, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p.3; 1564 Isabell COmar-vol2 p. 48; 1565 Isabell Bar-in-El p. 11, RegIng p. 5; 1565/6 Isbell BEmar-vol2 p. 2; 1565 Isbell COmar-vol5 p. 126; 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, WAmar-1 p. 97, 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 Isabell WAmar-1 p. 131, Isobell BUmar-vol9 p. 6; 1580 Isabel BUmar-vol2 p. 63, Isabell ibid. p. 117; 1581 Isbell RegBisham p. 4, 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, RegFord p. 2, 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; 1598 Issabell WAmar-1 p.76; 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; 1565 Ebbatt COmar-vol5 p. 126
Middle French
● 1345–1346 Isabel CovGuild-2 p. 141
France
Latin
● c823 Isabel (nom) irminon-vol2 94, Ved; 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; 1269 Isabelli (dat) NDParisII 2-XII, Isabellis (nom) ibid. 2-XII; 1270 Ysabelli (abl) ibid. 2-XLI, Ysabellis (gen) ibid. 2-XLI; 1277 Ysabella (nom) CartNDdOurscamp XXII; 1292 Ysabellis (nom) MemBret-I 1103; 1301 Isabelle (gen) MemPic-vol17 p. 253, Ysabeau (nom) ibid. p. 200, Ysabella (nom) ibid. p. 200
Old French
● 1292 Ysabiau (obl) HistHdVParis p. 114; 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; 1455 Isabeau HRAVP-3 p. 354, Isabelle ibid. p. 353; 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 Isabeau ibid. p. 264, Ysabeau ibid. p. 197; 1567 Isabeau ibid. p. 289, Ysabeau ibid. p. 279; 1568 Ysabeau ibid. p. 369; 1570 Ysabeau ibid. p. 425; 1571 Ysabeau ibid. p. 438; 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) SSPI 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-I 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
Spanish
● 1575 Isabel Catalogo-5.2 3790; 1576 Isabel ibid. 3872
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 2017, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2017/1/name/Isabel.