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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Adelaide or Isobel

43 replies

BabyKiwi1 · 16/04/2015 05:58

DH and I have managed to get down to two names that we both like, but are not sure whether to go for Adelaide since it is a bit unusual. Grateful for any thoughts!

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BoatsAgainstTheCurrent · 16/04/2015 10:47

Both of those names are lovely. I think I prefer Adelaide slightly more though.

squoosh · 16/04/2015 10:46

Adelaide.

There are just too many Isobels around at the moment. I do think Isobel will date, it was considered a pretty dated name until it whooshed back into popularity recently.

I don't think 'dated' is necessarily a bad thing though. It seems as though every name except James dates.

swancourt · 16/04/2015 10:43

My DDs name is Isobel. We've actually not met a single other Isobel at playgroups, preschool, nursery or anything. We live in a pretty much middle-class bit of the South East, where the name must be at its most popular. I hear the odd Isobel in the park or out and about, and my Isobel has a friend called Bella (short for Isabella). Obviously you're going to meet others with that name, but if that doesn't bother you, I think it is just stunningly beautiful and classic and doesn't date or age. I still love it four years on. It's my favourite all-time name, and I like unusual names too.

So my advice is, go with your heart. Who cares about popularity? In the past a quarter of all girls were called Mary and nobody cared! And now there is such a great diversity of names that even popular names are not that popular.

Adelaide is pretty too. There's a film about to be out called The Age of Adaline (and there are other spellings - Adeline, Adelaide, and variants on Adele like Adelia, Adelina - all pretty).

DramaAlpaca · 16/04/2015 10:30

I like Adelaide a lot, and the nickname potential is interesting too.

I like Isobel very much, but there are so many of them around these days.

charlyn · 16/04/2015 10:23

Love Adelaide, I find Isobel boring

Sophronia · 16/04/2015 10:12

Adelaide, it's much less popular.

J0an0fArk · 16/04/2015 07:40

I like Adel (just Adel) not crazy about Adelaide
Isobel is nice but I wouljdn't use it now as there have already been so many.

BreeVDKamp · 16/04/2015 07:40

Also so much nickname potential - Heidi, Ada (Ada Lovelace was Adeline I think, nice alternative?), Addy etc

sooperdooper · 16/04/2015 07:39

Adelaide or Adele - lovely names and Isobel is really over used at the minute

BreeVDKamp · 16/04/2015 07:38

Also 'Adelaide is a place not a person'...... You mean just like Florence, Victoria and Charlotte???

BreeVDKamp · 16/04/2015 07:37

Isobel, because Adelaide is our future DD's name (4 weeks to go! Think it's a boy though).

But no, Isobel etc is deathly boring, there were about 5 in the park yesterday and I was only there 3 hours. There were 66 Adelaides born in the UK in 2013 apparently, so it's not THAT unusual........... I'd deffo go for Adelaide (obviously). It is perfect!

Guin1 · 16/04/2015 07:25

Adelaide or Adele. Because it doesn't have the huge popularity of the Isobel 'family' of names, which will date them.

NadiaWadia · 16/04/2015 06:59

The city of Adelaide in Australia was named after Queen Adelaide, wife of King William IV. The name is quite nice, but what would put me off a bit is that 'laide' means 'ugly' in French. I don't know how much this matters, though. Adela?

Isobel is beautiful, but there are so many of them.

johendy · 16/04/2015 06:43

Go for Adelaide - its pretty as it is and Addy is a cute and familiar nickname if that helps to bridge the ' unusual' concern.
Issobel and similar are all over the place around here, it's crazy popular.

KoalaDownUnder · 16/04/2015 06:23

Adelaide is a variant of the German name Adelheid, and was a name before it was a city.

I love it, and am deathly bored of Isobel, Isabel, Isabelle, Isabella, et al!

HolgerDanske · 16/04/2015 06:21

Isobel.

Justyouwaitandsee · 16/04/2015 06:19

Adelaide is a name and a lovely one at that! I think for me it would depend on what goes best with your surname. Makes me think of the guys and dolls character.

Salene · 16/04/2015 06:10

Isobel. Adelaide is a place not a child's name.