Isolde

Isolde, also spelled Iseult, Iseut, or Isode, is a feminine given name associated with a legendary figure from medieval European literature. The name's exact origin is uncertain, but it is commonly linked to the Tristan and Isolde (or Iseult) romance, which circulated in Old French, Middle High German, and later English versions. In these traditions Isolde is typically an Irish princess who becomes involved with Tristan, often through a love potion, and their affair disrupts the court of King Mark of Cornwall.

In most versions of the legend, Tristan is sent to fetch Isolde for his king’s bride, but the two lovers fall in love and vow fidelity to each other, despite marital and political obligations. The tale exists in multiple variants with differing details and endings, ranging from tragic deaths to reconciliations in some later narratives. The core motif—two lovers bound by a love that cannot be fulfilled—has had a lasting influence on European literature and art.

The name gained particular prominence in the modern era through Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde, premiered in 1865. Wagner’s work occupies a central position in the canon of Romantic opera and is noted for its musical structures and intense expression of longing, influence that helped popularize the legend and the name.

Today, Isolde remains a given name in several European languages and is encountered in literature, film, and other media inspired by the Tristan and Isolde tradition. It carries associations of romance, tragedy, and myth.