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Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • English and French : from a Germanic female personal name composed of the elements īs ‘ice’ + hild ‘strife’, ‘battle’. This was introduced into England by the Normans in the forms Iseu(l)t and Isolde. The popularity of the various versions of the legend of Tristan and Isolde led to widespread use of the personal name in the Middle Ages.
  • French : from Ishard, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements īs ‘ice’ + hard ‘hardy’, ‘brave’, ‘strong’.

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