Will my poor child have to spell this name (Amabell) if we give it to her????

[Summerhols]

Due in June, my DH and I have really struggled with girls names (we don't know the gender). My DH loves Annabell but I don't like the name Anna so he found in the book Amabell, which we both really like.

But will the poor girl have to spell it all the time because people will mistake it for Annabell????

[spongebrainbigpants]

Constantly. Every time! Sorry .

[DiamondHead]

Yes, i think she'd be forever correcting people. Shame because it's pretty.

You could use belle, short for Annabell, rather than Anna.

[MadOldCrone]

yes, because it sounds made up

[bibbitybobbityhat]

Of course she will!

She will have to say "Amabell Summerhols, that's A - M - A - B - E - L - L. No, not Annabel, its am - Ma - bel. With an em not an n. One mm instead of the n. One em and two lls."

Every single time she has to give her name over the phone.

[Blanchet]

Doubly so because it's usually Amabel! Never seen it spelt "Amabell" before and I prefer the one-l spelling.

You could use it as a middle name? Or since you don't like Anna, maybe you could use Annabell and nickname her Belle or Bella?

[PacificDogwood]

What bibbity said.

Plus, people will still get it wrong ...

[Hulababy]

Agree with others. People will constanly assume she (and you) are saying Annabel so you will have to correct people often.

I have to say that I do much prefer Annabel. I found Amabell somewhat of a mouthful to say; definitely not easy to sa compard to most words.

Doesn't help that m handwritten will also look very similar to nn, or that m/n are so close to one another on the keyboard. So people will also thing it is incorrectly written, or will read it wrongly.

I think it is a tricky one both verbally and written.

[MaggieTaSeFuar]

Either Annabel, or a bit more problematic, but still very nice Amabel... but Amabell looks very odd imo, Why two Ls?

Just go for Annabel I think! It's lovely, and it is simple but elegant. Amabel's first impression is going to be 'huh?' rather than pretty ykwim.

That's a good point about them looking similar when handwritten.

[MaggieTaSeFuar]

ps, what about Anya?

[clam]

Don't do it, please. Why would you put your child through this? And yourselves?

[TwentiethCenturyHeffa]

I know an Amabel and it's a lovely name but will always get mistaken for Annabel. I knew her for about 5 years before I realised since I'd never seen it written down (and the first time I did I thought it was just a spelling mistake or bad handwriting). It's a shame because it is beautiful.

[MaggieTaSeFuar]

I think you have to go for either Annabel or Mabel. I like both. But it would be kind of like calling a boy 'Nax' instead of Max. People would 'correct' it back to Max wouldn't they?

[diddl]

It just doesn´t sound or look as nice as Annabel imo.

[LightLyric]

Sorry, sounds like you're pissed when you say it..

[Wanderingsheep]

Pretty much agree with every other poster.

However, even if you used Annabell you would probably have to spell it often as there are so many variations. Annabelle/Anabel/Annabel.

DD is Isabel and people always have to ask me how it is spelt otherwise they put the other versions of Isobel/Isabelle and sometimes even Isabella!

[SoupDragon]

Yes, she'll spell it every time and people will keep correcting her.

[pagwatch]

either she will have to spell it all the time or people will spell it Anabell anyway as they will just assume she has said it like that because she has a cold.

[Wanderingsheep]

Annabel is a beautiful name, btw and fwiw I hated the shortening of Isabel to Izzy when I was pregnant. Now that she is here I love it although she never gets her name shortened anyway.

[diddl]

If you want the "Am" sound,why not Amelie or Amelia?

[StrictlyKatty]

Mabel is lovely.

The worst spelling I've ver seen was 'Anabelle', Why?! A whole life saying 'no, only 1 N, and 'Elle' on the end'

[OrmRenewed]

I don't like it much. That or Annabel. But I have a problem with names ending in 'Belle'.

But yes she will be constantly correcting people. Or change her name to Annabel.

[MaggieTaSeFuar]

i like annabel and isabelle but not annabelle or isabelle, and i can tell without seeing it written down if a child is an isabelle or an isabelle. same goes for Juliette/Juliet extra letters, go to room 101, or France.

[MaggieTaSeFuar]

i mean an isabel or an isabelle obviously.

[bellissima]

Well I agree with Maggie re frenchification except that for me the true name is Isobel. And I just don't like any variant of Annabel(le). Comes across as Tinkerbell. isn't Amabel the Hebrew original? (someone who knows these things please correct me). But I agree that the poor child will always be correcting people. It's like Amelia/Emilia.