Isabella✳

Isabella, which feels both modern and traditional, has incredible cross-cultural appeal to parents from a range of religious and ethnic backgrounds. It's feminine but also substantial, with a long history as a royal and classic name comfortable on the international stage.

Isabella's success is due at least in part to the 'Twilight' effect and lead character Isabella 'Bella' Swan. Some parents choose it to get to the short form Bella, while others prefer to use the irreverent Izzy or Issy, while still others insist on using it in its full four-syllable glory.

Isabella is familiar through various European queens, including the Queen of Spain who funded Christopher Columbus, and was used by Shakespeare in Measure for Measure.