Isobell

The name Isobell originated from the medieval English form of the name Elizabeth, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning "God is my oath." The earliest known spelling of the name was Ysabeau or Ysabel in Old French.

In the 12th century, the name Isobell was a common variant spelling found in England and Scotland. It was borne by Isobell of Angoulême, Countess of Angoulême in the late 12th century. Another notable bearer was Isobell Douglas, Countess of Mar, who lived in the late 14th century.

The name Isobell appears in several literary works from the medieval period, including the 14th-century poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and the 15th-century play "The Nutbrown Maid." It was also the name of a character in Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales."

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Isobell is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions an Isobell de Hertford. In the 13th century, there was an Isobell Countess of Arundel who lived from around 1210 to 1292.

Other notable historical figures with the name Isobell include Isobell Hepburn, Countess of Bothwell (c. 1556-1623), a Scottish noblewoman; Isobell Burton (c. 1610-1653), one of the first English women to publish her own writings; Isobell Gowdie (1662-1662), a Scottish woman accused of witchcraft; Isobell Field (1623-1696), an English Puritan writer; and Isobell Pagan (c. 1741-1821), a Scottish poet.