I like it! It has the same look as the more common Annabelle and Annabella, but a bit more modern. I think this name is really tough looking, but it could also belong to a cute soft girl at the same time. Just my thoughts.
According to Wikipedia, Arabella likely comes from the Celtic òr a bheul "golden mouth", or the Scottish equivalent of Bel-óir, the Irish epithet for Saint Gregory the Great.
A bit too stuffy for my taste but you can get the nickname Ari or Bella out of it. I would look out for teasing as the first syllable is pronounced like "air" so people might turn that to "airhead".
This name is not Christian nor Italian, it is of Greek and Middle-Eastern descent, an ancient City in Jordan was called Arabella, it has recently been changed to Irbid, Jordan. The place is BEAUTIFUL. The name also doesn't have anything to do with prayers or praying, it means tough lion, little Arabian woman, and beautiful. RACISM IN THESE COMMENTS AGAINST ARAB PEOPLE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
Arabella is a very pretty name, and a good alternative to Isabella or Annabella. This name might be too girly for my taste, but I still like it. I also like Arabelle.
Before I never really liked this name, but ever since I listened to “Arabella” by the Arctic Monkeys, I love it a lot more now for some reason. I find Arabella feminine, unique, sophisticated, and beautiful. The ‘Arab’ part doesn’t bother me and I don’t see why it should. I’m surprised so many people could hate a beautiful name.
The fact that people have the courage to say "It has Arab in it, therefore I don't like it" or something like that is just ignorant and childish. Arabs are beautiful people with amazing culture, and plus this name has nothing to do with Arabs. But yet, when it comes to European ethnic/nationality names, you guys don't say "Because it has Franc in it and it means Frenchman" but instead stay quiet.
― Anonymous User 4/5/2021
18
Arabella is a Christian girl name, origin is Latin and Italian, maybe Scottish. It means yielding to pray, answered prayer etc. It's not a variant of Annabel.Possible meaning is: golden mouth/gold of his mouth from the Scottish Gaelic "òr a bheul" and "òr beul". (Please someone correct me if I'm wrong)
― Anonymous User 3/26/2021
5
It’s okay, however, Ari and Aria as nicknames are awful!
― Anonymous User 12/30/2020
-7
Not sure how I feel about this name. It was on my baby girl name list, but I just don't love it...I'm not even sure I like it anymore.
I think this name is beautiful, considering it because we really wanted to use Isabella but that’s just so popular and we want a name where we can use the nickname Belle.
― Anonymous User 10/26/2020
7
Sorry, but it sounds too much like Arabic but with Bella at the end. Not a fan at all. I’d hate being called this.
― Anonymous User 10/26/2020
-19
Not a fan at all!
― Anonymous User 9/20/2020
-13
It's pretty, but I'm not sure about how it will age.
I used to dislike this name, but now I adore it! It's an absolutely gorgeous name.
― Anonymous User 8/9/2020
9
I strongly dislike this name.
― Anonymous User 7/23/2020
-14
I hate this name. Sorry.
― Anonymous User 7/19/2020
-13
First, my daughter's name is Arabella. Second, this name is not English and it is not a derivative of Annabelle. It's Italian and it means yielding to prayer and beautiful.
― Anonymous User 5/11/2020
2
Don’t get me wrong, the name is pretty and I have nothing against it. It’s just not really my taste as it’s pretty girly and a little too feminine-sounding. It’s alright. I prefer the pronunciation Ar-uh-bella instead of Air-uh-Bella. I like Arianna or Isabella better though.
I had never heard of this name when we named our daughter, Aarobella in 2011. I originally wanted a B name, because my name is Brandi, and our other daughter's name is Brasen. We chose Brasen because it started with "Bra," just like my name. We wanted my youngest daughter to have a meaningful name, as well, and I didn't want my husband to be the only one without a matching name. My husband's name is Aaron, so after a lot of thinking, I started playing around with using the beginning of his name for our youngest, as I had done with my oldest's and my name. We took the "Aaro," & in staying true to my love for B names, added the B name "Bella" to it, creating the name Aarobella. I loved the name immediately, and looked no further. We pronounce it "Air-a-bell-ah." I had never heard of this name until years later on a Hallmark Christmas movie. I love that all 3 of us girl's can go by B names for the most part. Brandi, Brasen, and Bella, but that both girl's names were chosen with meaning to include one of their parent's names.Aaron Aarobella Brandi Brasen.
This is my name, and I have always loved it, but I think the nickname suggestions for this name are not really related to the name.
― Anonymous User 10/2/2019
4
Lady Arabella Churchill — sister of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (victor of the Battle of Blenheim, who Blenheim Palace was built for); mistress of King James II of England and VII of Scotland; mother of James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, Marshal of France. {I named my ‘Blenheim’ colored Cavalier King Charles Spaniel after her.}
I think this is a pretty underrated name. It's old fashioned but not necessarily an old lady name. I prefer it to the more common Isabella. Also, the child can always go by Bella like my friend does.
― Anonymous User 1/21/2019
9
It makes me think of a spoiled girl with curly red hair.
My name is Arabella, and I am quite confused why people care so much about the Arab part of the name?! I have enjoyed the compliments I get on my name :)
― Anonymous User 4/1/2018
20
It's a good alternative to popular names like Isabella and Ariana. I prefer the pronunciation ARE-A-Bella. I have never known an Arabella, yet many Isabellas.
My daughter's name is Arabella! We pronounce it Air-uh-bel-uh.
― Anonymous User 12/6/2016
5
This name is very beautiful. I like this one then the other Bella names that are popular now (Isabella, Annabella, etc.) The song Arabella by The Arctic Monkeys is a great name sake as well.
In Latin it means answered prayer. In various other languages it means praying one, beautiful lion, or I prayed for you.There is a famous violinest named Arabella Steinbacher. There are also several books where the main character is Arabella. The most common way it is pronounced is Air-ah-Bella but some people prefer Are-Ah-Bella.
Pretty but OH, so frilly! Still, I prefer the pronunciation of "R-uh-bella" It sounds classic to me. Air-uh-bella or whatever sounds more modern and made-up (like made-up names made in recent decades) but said either way this name conjures up images of a princess; real or fictional.
― Anonymous User 6/10/2016
2
Lovely; makes me think of the Arctic Monkeys' song, and though I'm not super fond of that band, I still think it's a good song.
Ave! I'm fluent in Latin, so I'm planning on teaching my kid the language, and I wanted to name them something Latin. Arabella was THE name that caught my eye - I really love the name.
― Anonymous User 7/28/2015
7
I just named my daughter Arabella. The name is beautiful and I get so many compliments on it. I agree with the person who said it's the person that makes the name not the name that makes the person. And shame on the people who do not like it because it has "Arab" in it. I love this name! So happy I found it!
I LOVE this name. It is my daughter's name, only I spelled it "Airabella". I love this spelling and chose it so it wouldn't be mispronounced as "Arr-uh-bella". It's definitely an elegant name and fits my daughter well.♡ I found out later that Donald Trump's granddaughter also has this name lol.
I named my daughter Ayerabella. I spelled it that way because in Italian it means Beautiful Answered Prayer, and she truly is! I decided to take the 'PR' out of prayer, and use it as Ayerabella. It's a beautiful name, I get compliments on it all the time, her middle name is Hope, Ayerabella Hope. Personally I like my spelling much better the 'y' gives it something extra! Beautiful name I would like to see more babies named Ayerabella, and I'd like to see this spelling used more often! :)
I personally love the name Arabella. It's classy and respectable names like this name that make up for Isabella. I use to love Isabella but the whole Twilight reference killed the name for me. Like now, when I see the name Isabella I just see Twilight, which I don't like at all. I see this as a cute and frilly name. Also, the person who said this reminds her of Rubella - how? Unless you think Isabella sounds like Rubella, then that honestly is quite an idiotic thing to compare and it's not pronounced Arab-Ella it's Air-ah-belle-ah like two different ways to pronounce a name.
This beautiful name is behind the eponymous Georgette Heyer novel and the Arctic Monkeys song from their album AM. Both versions of the girl while completely different are positive, cool and attractive. Since I don't personally know any Arabellas (let's face it, sometimes that can forever ruin a name one would otherwise like quite well; for me that's Rebecca) I think of the Heyer character or the song when I hear the name. Love it, would consider using it.
This name screams pretentious. And plus, I don't think that this pretentious name can age well. So, Your little Arabella is a joyful little child with a princess name, but when she grows up and gets a job, people would wonder "Why does a grown women have childlish name?" No offence really, but even when your child is an old women, this name would sound nonsense. Thank god, if you name your child such a horrible name, she can go by Bella.
Arabella Rose (born July 17, 2011 in New York City) is the daughter of Ivanka Trump.
― Anonymous User 12/13/2011
3
My granddaughter named her daughter Arabella after her mother Hayley Araluen and Bella which she also liked, she did not know of the name she just simply took "Ara" from Araluen and put Bella on the end of it.
The Massachusetts Bay colony (note: not the Pilgrims' Plymouth colony) originally came to Massachusetts on 17 ships, the Winthrop fleet. The main ship was called the Arbella (or Arabella). Named for a Lady Arbella (or Arabella) who traveled on this voyage.
I really love the name, it seems so dignified. At first I thought it was kind of pompous but I have since changed my mind about it. I love the different nicknames that can come from it.
The translation usually given for 'orabilis' is 'easily entreated'; looking at the separate bits, the ora- element is in orator and oration, and the -bilis is the same as 'able'. So if you are orabilis, you will listen and respond to persuasion and entreaties. (You might be rather gullible, in fact.)'Yielding to prayers', in other words to requests, might be a good translation; 'yielding to pray', whatever it might mean, is not. As for the answer to a prayer, sorry, it's impossible. And why anyone would name their daughter a beautiful altar is unclear to me. It wouldn't sound very attractive in classical antiquity.
An interesting historical English bearer was Arabella Churchill (23 February 1648 – 30 May 1730) who was the mistress of King James II, and the mother of four of his children. Arabella was the child of Sir Winston Churchill (an ancestor of the Prime Minister of the same name) and Elizabeth Drake.
A very lovely name in my opinion. :D I'm using this name in a series of books I'm currently writing. (Even though it'll be a name of one of the antagonists, but still. XD)
I recently changed my name to Arabella. All of my friends and family agreed with me that it was a very good name. Many people compliment me on the name, and think it is a good name. I prefer it to the more commonly used -bella names. I like both nicknames Ari and Bella. It gives off a good feeling.
Arabella is also Latin, where it means "answer to a prayer" or "beauty".I think this name is a very pretty name, and it is not overused, and too far "out there", and it's completely sensible for any baby girl.
This name is a bit too frilly and pretentious for my taste, and it reminds me a bit of the disease Rubella (a.k.a German Measles). I do however like the variant Arbella (with only 2 A's), which is unfortunately not listed in this database. I would consider it for a middle name, and perhaps use something a bit more ... shall we say "untouched" in the first name spot, if you get my drift. I also like that the name has disputed meanings: either "lovable" (which is most likely the legitimate meaning) and "yielding to pray" (which is still lovely, even if it isn't "legit").
I named my daughter in 2006 Arabella and love it! She fits the name. If you're someone that loves nicknames this name is perfect. Arabella has been called Bella, Ella, Arie, Bellabutton, Bellabutt, Bellicious, Bella etc etc. Since I named her I have heard there is a princess in a tv show in the Philipines named Arabella as well.
Arbella Stewart (not a spelling error - her name was spelt with only two A's) was a cousin of Elizabeth I and at one time expected to be named her heir. It didn't happen, of course, but she has sometimes been dubbed the "Lost Queen" of England.
I think Arabella is Babe's real name on All My Children (the character, not the actor). I don't like her that much, but I'm still trying to decide if I like this name or not.
An 18th century novel by Charlotte Lennox is "The Female Quixote: or, The Adventures of Arabella". The titular heroine is a noble, though misguided, young woman who has to learn to balance the realities of contemporary society with the unrealistic exalted ideals she has imbibed from reading too much historical fiction.
I love this name mainly because of the meaning 'yielding to pray', it's lovely. I hope it won't become too popular if I ever decide to name any future child this.
― Anonymous User 6/27/2007
4
In the movie 'The Prince & Me' starring Julia Stiles the prince's younger sister is named Arabella called Arie.
― Anonymous User 6/27/2007
3
Arbella Stuart was an English noblewoman who was for some time considered a possible successor to Queen Elizabeth I.She was the only child of Charles Stuart, 5th Earl of Lennox and Elizabeth Cavendish. Her paternal grandparents were Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox and Margaret Douglas. Her father was a younger brother of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, second King Consort of Mary I of Scotland. Her maternal grandparents were Sir William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick.She died September 27, 1615 in the Tower of London after marrying William Seymour without first gaining the permission of King James VI.
That name is already taken by my daughter. Everyone loves it and says it sounds like a princess name. Some call her "arr-a-bella" and some call her "air-a-bella"A name does not define a person, a person defines their name.
I love this name! Unlike Isabella/Gabriella this name is underused and you can make many nicknames out of it. I have this name picked out for my future daughter. It has a great meaning and strikes me as a princess name.
Arabella is the name of the wife of Jonathan Strange in the book 'Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell'. Her character has quite a big role in it, and a nice one too.
For some reason I cannot explain, even to myself, Arabella has always sounded to me like a disease that makes red spots come out on you. Maybe Rubella is lurking somewhere in this name.
Used by J.K.Rowling for her character Mrs. Arabella Doreen Figg the squib who kept an eye out for Harry while in little Whinging.
― Anonymous User 10/12/2005
3
Arabella is a wondrous, beauty of a name. As a matter of fact, a tragic bearer of this name is our youngest president John F. Kennedy's still-born daughter Arabella, who is buried in their family cemetery which includes John F. Kennedy Jr., Jaqueline Kennedy Oanasis, and sadly babies Arabella and Patrick Kennedy.