| Esperanza | Isabela | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | hope | God is my oath |
| Origin | spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | es-peh-RAHN-sah | ee-sah-BEH-lah |
| Syllables | 4 | 4 |
| First appeared | 1903 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2000 (499) | 2004 (695) |
| In 2025 | 188 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Esperanza | Isabela |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,454 | 2,496 |
| 2010s | 2,690 | 3,961 |
| 2000s | 3,814 | 5,336 |
| 1990s | 2,359 | 846 |
| 1980s | 1,302 | 59 |
| 1970s | 1,317 | 0 |
| 1960s | 1,232 | 0 |
| 1950s | 1,500 | 0 |
| 1940s | 1,602 | 0 |
| 1930s | 1,385 | 0 |
| 1920s | 1,695 | 0 |
| 1910s | 454 | 0 |
| 1900s | 45 | 0 |
The Spanish word for 'hope', from the Latin sperantia (from sperare 'to hope'). One of the three theological virtues and a Marian title, Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope).
A Spanish form of Isabel, which arose in medieval Iberia and Provence as a variant of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheva 'my God is an oath' (or 'God is abundance'). It became a royal name in Spain, Portugal and England.
Esperanza is more popular than Isabela today: about 188 US babies were given the name Esperanza in 2025, compared with 0 named Isabela.
Esperanza means hope (spanish origin), while Isabela means God is my oath (spanish origin).
In US records, Esperanza first appears in 1903 and Isabela in 0, so Isabela has the longer recorded history.