Girls' name · since 1894
Isobel
3,802 babies named Isobel in U.S. Social Security records since 1894, with the highest year being 2016. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3,085 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #2,303 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,802
- born since 1894
- 2010s
- peak decade
3,802 babies have been named Isobel since 1894, making it today's #2303 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Isobel has been recorded 3,802 times among girls since 1894, currently ranked #2303 nationally and more common than 87% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1894 to 2025.
- #3,085 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #2,303 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 3,802 born since 1894
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Isobel ranks #3,085 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,303 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 3,802 born since 1894, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3,085 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #2,303 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,802
- born since 1894
- 2010s
- peak decade
Isobel's 3,802 recorded births place it above 95.73% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
21 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Isobel compares
3,802 Top 16% higher than 84% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Isobel's all-time total is 10x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Isobel | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,802 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 129 | 21 | 19,840 |
Isobel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Isobel's SSA record in two at 1945 and the more recent half accounts for 69% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 31%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1894, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2016 peak of 129, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Isobel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1894–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 129
- Annual births at peak, across 132 years of records
Isobel by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (981 births, 26% of the file).
2010s was Isobel's strongest decade.
981 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Isobel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 42
1890s
42 births
- 1900s 129
1900s
129 births
- 1910s 366
1910s
366 births
- 1920s
1920s
422 births
- 1930s 190
1930s
190 births
- 1940s 81
1940s
81 births
- 1950s 51
1950s
51 births
- 1960s 12
1960s
12 births
- 1970s 13
1970s
13 births
- 1980s 7
1980s
7 births
- 1990s 270
1990s
270 births
- 2000s
2000s
715 births
- 2010s
2010s
981 births
- 2020s
2020s
523 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 981 births (26% of all-time use).
How Isobel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Isobel's total volume
Isobel by state
Where Isobel concentrates geographically, total births since 1894
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 299 | 7.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 285 | 7.5% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 200 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Texas | | 104 | 2.7% |
| #5 | Florida | | 55 | 1.4% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 51 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 46 | 1.2% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 45 | 1.2% |
299 of 3,802 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Isobel appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Isobel? ▼
Where does Isobel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Isobel most popular? ▼
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How long has the name Isobel been used? ▼
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What to do with Isobel's data
- Isobel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (981 total births) through the 2020s (523) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Isobels (299 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Isobel
Nearby Names Like Isobel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Isobel
Compare Isobel side by side: Isobel vs Isolde Isobel vs Isola Isobel vs Isobella
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Isobel
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Isobel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2016)
Similar record span (~131 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1894–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Isobel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.