| Isbell English: from the female personal name Isabel(l)(a). This
originated as a variant of Elizabeth, a name which owed its
popularity in medieval Europe to the fact that it was borne by John
the Baptist’s mother. The original form of the name was Hebrew
Elisheva ‘my God (is my) oath’; it appears thus in Exodus 6:23
as the name of Aaron’s wife. By New Testament times the second element
had been altered to Hebrew shabat ‘rest’, ‘Sabbath’. The form
Isabella originated in Spain, the initial syllable being
detached because of its resemblance to the definite article el,
and the final one being assimilated to the characteristic Spanish
feminine ending -ella. The name in this form was introduced to
France in the 13th century, being borne by a sister of St. Louis who
lived as a nun after declining marriage with the Holy Roman
Emperor. Thence it was taken to England, where it achieved
considerable popularity as an independent personal name alongside its
doublet Elizabeth. Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4 |