Iseult

The origin of Iseult is uncertain, though Celtic roots have been suggested, and it may ultimately derive from a Germanic form such as *Ishild, from is meaning “ice” and hilt meaning “battle.” In tales first recorded in Old French in the 12th century, Yseut or Ysolt is an Irish princess betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall who accidentally drinks a love potion and becomes the lover of his nephew Tristan; their tragic Arthurian story was widely popular in the Middle Ages and made the name relatively common in England. By the 19th century it was rare, though Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (1865) revived some interest.

In 2016, 5 babies were recorded with the name Iseult, ranking #16,215 among girls.