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" The Isis" ( ) is an alternative name for the River Thames, used from its source in the Cotswolds until it is joined by the River Thame at Dorchester in Oxfordshire. Notably, the Isis flows through Oxford and has given its name to several institutions and products of the city.
The modern form of the name, first recorded c.1540, "An alternative name for the Thames above its junction with the Thame, used particularly in Oxford... relates to the Egyptian goddess Isis. "The god of the Egyptians, Isis, has been generally associated with the Thames ..." The deity was venerated throughout the Roman Empire, and was worshipped at the Temple of Isis near the Thames in Londinium during the Roman Britain.
The name "Isis" is also used for the men's second rowing eight of Oxford University Boat Club, who race against Goldie, the men's second crew of the Cambridge University Boat Club, before the annual Oxford vs. Cambridge Boat Race on the Thames in London.
Known name variants for the upper Thames, recorded during the Middle Ages, include Ysa or Usa (14th century), Isa, Ise (14th century), and Isis or Ouse (16th century). The name variants Isa, Ise, suggest a Celtic origin and may derive from Brittonic is ('refresh') or isca ('water')." A verbal root meaning ‘refresh’, and so ‘heal’, is seen as an element in several ancient river names, with connotations of ‘vigour, swift movement’..." Many common river names have a similar origin, including the Axe, Esk, River Exe and River Usk, "Axe, Exe, Esk, Usk, Wiske all forms of Brit. isca..." as well as the Celtic name for the Danube, Istros. It is possible that the earlier name Isa had a different meaning that was lost when replaced by a similar sounding name. It is unlikely that these early names were related to the Egyptian goddess. "It is more than probable that the Ysa and Usa of Ranulf Higden account are in fact from the Celtic..."
The association between Oxford and the Egyptian goddess Isis might be explained by her role as Stella Maris – "Star of the Sea" and "divine protector of sailors and fishermen". "As her worship spread around the Mediterranean from its origins in Alexandria, Isis became known as Stella Maris (star of the sea) the divine protector of sailors and fishermen ..." The Latin Stella Maris relates to Mary, mother of Jesus, and the worship of Isis was associated with the transformation of Roman society away from paganism towards Christianity.
It had been conjectured that the Romano-British name for the Thames (" Tamesis") is a conflation (joining together) of its two main tributary names, the River Thame and the Isis. The conflation theory might explain why the Thames retained a trailing 's' – but the River Thame did not. The conflation theory was proposed and endorsed by and scholars during the Middle Ages, including Ranulf Higden, " Tamisia seems to be composed from the names of two rivers, that are the Thama and the Ysa or Usa ..." John Leland, and William Camden (1551–1623). In the late 17th century, the Welsh scholar Edward Lhuyd – second Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford – endorsed the conflation theory in Parochailia (1695).
Use of the modern form of the name Isis for the river was first recorded c.1540, and may have been influenced by the study of religion at the University of Oxford, the association of the Egyptian goddess with Christianity, and the association of the Thames with the Egyptian goddess. It may also have been influenced by the revival of interest in classical Roman antiquities during the Renaissance in the 16th century, and the conflation theory endorsed by the antiquarian John Leland.
HMP Isis is a Category C Young Offenders Institution in England operated by His Majesty's Prison Service, adjacent to HMP Belmarsh and HMP Thameside near the River Thames in the Woolwich area of South East London.
Each of the Formula Student cars manufactured by the Oxford Brookes University racing team used the name ISIS in the beginning of its chassis number. ISIS is then succeeded by the year number; for example, ISIS XII was the 2012 chassis, nicknamed "Miss Piggy". This continued until the 2016 season, when the naming convention changed to use an OBR prefix.
The ISIS neutron source is named after the river Isis.
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