Jezabel

The name Jezabel, in the Spanish form Jezabel and in the French variant Jézabel, is derived from the Hebrew Jezebel, which goes back to ’îzævæl (אִיזֶבֶל). The meaning of the name is "the not exalted," "the unchaste," or "Baal is exalted."

What does the name Jezabel mean?

Jezabel, the Spanish form, and Jézabel, the French variant, are derived from the Hebrew name Jezebel, which is based on ’îzævæl (אִיזֶבֶל). The name carries the meanings "the not exalted," "the unchaste," or "Baal is exalted." The exact origins are not clearly defined. It may derive from the ancient Hebrew izével (איזבל), meaning "not exalted" or "not protected" in the context of shame or lawlessness. Alternatively, it could come from the Semitic zbl meaning "to exalt" or "to dwell" or from the Phoenician Baʿlʾizbel (𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤀𐤆𐤁𐤋), meaning "Baal exalts." The name is associated with two negatively connoted figures in the Bible: Queen Jézabel, the wife of King Ahab of Israel, who is said to have led the king away from the faith in Yahweh and was considered cruel towards her subjects – which was not unusual for that time. In the New Testament, a Jézabel is also mentioned, who advised against the faith, although she likely only received the name due to the negative associations with Jezabel. Other variants of the name include Jesabel, Jezebelle, Jezabelle, Isebel, Iezabel, Izebel, Gezabele, and Hiezabel.

Where does the name Jezabel come from?

The name Jezabel has its roots in ancient Hebrew and Semitic and means "the not exalted." The etymological origin is composed as follows: ancient Hebrew izével (איזבל) means "not exalted" or "not protected" in the sense of shame or lawlessness. In Semitic, zbl stands for "to exalt" or "to dwell." The Phoenician origin Baʿlʾizbel (𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤀𐤆𐤁𐤋) means "Baal exalts." The languages in which the name appears are English, French, and Spanish.

How do you pronounce Jezabel?

Jezabel is pronounced as 'dʒɛ-zæ-bel'.

Popularity

In Germany, Jezabel is a rather rare first name. In 2023, it ranked 5,633rd in the list of the most common female baby names. The best ranking was achieved in 2017 with 3,952nd place. Over the last ten years, Jezabel has been given as a first name fewer than 10 times, placing it 8,310th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 9,958th.

Nicknames & pet names

Bella / Jez / Jeza / Jezi

Famous people

• Jézabel (wife of King Ahab in the OT)