Isabell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Isabell family

The surname Isabell was first found in Oxfordshire where Walter Ysabelle as listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same roll listed: John Isabell in Norfolk; and Walter filius Isabell in Lincolnshire. 1

The name is thought to have originated for the personal name "Isabella, a pet form of Elizabeth, which seems to have developed in Provence. " 2

Isabella of Angoulême (d. 1246), was the Queen of King John, daughter and heiress of Aymer, count of Angoulême, by Alicia, daughter of Peter of Courtenay, a younger son of Louis VI of France. 3

Isabella (1214-1241), wife of the emperor Frederic II, born in 1214, was the second daughter and fourth child of John, King of England, and his Queen, Isabella of Angoulême. 3

Other early rolls revealed William Isabel in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275 while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Ricardus Deyne et Isabella uxor ejus; Matilda Isebell; Johannes Issebell; and Johannes Isbell. 1

Early History of the Isabell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Isabell research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487 and 1523 are included under the topic Early Isabell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Isabell Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Isabell are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Isabell include: Isabell, Isbell, Ysbell, Ysabell, Ysabelle and others.

Early Notables of the Isabell family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Isabells family of Norfolk

Isabell Ranking

In the United States, the name Isabell is the 11,054^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Isabell migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Isabell or a variant listed above:

Isabell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Isabell, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1637 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Isabell (post 1700) +

Isabell Johnston, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1960 (alternate), 1964

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)