Holding steady, #5,917 for girls today.
Popularity of Isolde since 1971
Babies named Isolde per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2007, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Isolde's real moment was 2023.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 6 |
| 2000s | 66 |
| 2010s | 169 |
| 2020s | 101 |
Meaning & origin
Isolde, first recorded in the United States in 1971, remains a rare but evocative name. In 2025 it ranked 5,917th, with a usage rate of about 1 in 80,363 newborn girls. The name's popularity peaked in 2023, and its trajectory has been stable, never experiencing a dramatic boom or bust. While no single state shows a strong concentration, Isolde has a scattered but devoted following, perhaps drawn to its romantic literary history and lyrical sound. Its consistent low rank suggests it is chosen by parents looking for a distinctive name with deep cultural roots.
Isolde is a figure from medieval romance, most famously in the legend of Tristan and Isolde. The name is of uncertain Celtic origin, possibly from the Welsh elements 'ys' (fair) and 'gwen' (white, blessed), or from Old High German 'is' (ice) and 'hiltja' (battle). It was popularized in the English-speaking world through Arthurian literature and later opera.
“Isolde” around the world
Where Isolde lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Izzy, Issy
Variants: Iseult, Isotta
Sibling names for Isolde
Names that share Isolde's style, for a brother or sister.
