View Message

Isabelle is a lovely name. I definitely prefer it to Isabella, which I find too frilly. I know someone with a daughter named Isabelle and I have a cousin named Isabel, but I encounter Isabella more often. Due to popularity, I would avoid Isabel and Isabelle, which are very close to majorly popular Isabella. Isabel / Isabelle and Isabella are basically the new Christine and Christina, which are popular among people my age as well as among people a generation or so ahead of me. Don't get me wrong - I like both Christine and Christina, but I have heard many people mix them up or ask "Is it Christine or Christina?" I imagine the same thing happens with Isabel / Isabelle and Isabella.

---

Isabelle is a widely recognized spelling, so I don't think that it would be that problematic. These days, Isabelle is actually more popular than Isabel in the U.S. as a whole.

This message was edited 4/15/2012, 7:40 AM