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Baby names

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

Original poster

Isobel or Isabel, Joy or Grace?

59 replies

CesareBorgiasUnicornMask · 18/12/2016 14:35

Just musing. Baby not due until next summer and may not be a girl - if it's a boy DH and I both like Luke William but girls names are contentious. The only one we can seem to agree on is Isobel/ Isabel but not the spelling.

For a middle name I like Joy as it's more unusual, and also the name of a teacher who I loved to bits and inspired me hugely. DH prefers Grace as it's more 'normal' but I quite like it too.

So:

Isobel Joy

Isabel Grace

Or neither?

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Butterpuff · 21/12/2016 13:36

Indeed practice, dd's name is boring, overused, safe.......but I love it.

I also love the spelling Isobel and really love joy. I don't know any Joy's a few Joyce's who go as Joy but no one who is just a Joy, and who wouldn't want to be a Joy.

1horatio · 21/12/2016 13:19

Practice

TBH, I'm actually terribly curious about that... I do wonder what mumsnetter would say about DD's name...

BitOutOfPractice · 21/12/2016 11:50

I tell you what, once you've seen your own or your child's name casually derided on MN it makes you a lot lot more circumspect about commenting on other people's choices Hmm

MitzyLeFrouf · 21/12/2016 10:28

Joy is nicer than any of them though.

MitzyLeFrouf · 21/12/2016 10:26

Isabel or Isabelle just look nicer. Isobel is that miserable woman who works in the post office in every other Scottish town.

1horatio · 21/12/2016 10:18

ever

Thanks :)
History is in our family DH's thing, not mine...(not at all mine. I'm kind of surprised I remembered any Spanish Isabel, tbh :) )

Evergreen17 · 21/12/2016 08:17

Isabella is not Spanish, Isabel is Smile

Evergreen17 · 21/12/2016 08:17

1horatio it is Isabel for both the Castilla one and Isabel II Smile.

Evergreen17 · 21/12/2016 08:15

OP, my sister's name is Isabel and nobody spells it right in this country. Isabella, Isobel, Isabelle

1horatio · 20/12/2016 14:59

Tom absolutely! :)

Isabella of Castile
And Isabel II of Spain (and please correct me if I'm wrong!)

Isobelle would be awful (apologies to any Isobelle reading this....)

BadToTheBone · 20/12/2016 14:51

Isobel Joy

Isobel is by far the nicest spelling and if said correctly then a softer sounding name than Isabel.

MargotLovedTom · 20/12/2016 14:39

Yep, Isobelle is non existent name but Isabel is legit. Wasn't there a Queen Isabel of Spain hundreds of years ago?

1horatio · 20/12/2016 14:20

Tom

Absolutely.

Or that's at least what I thought as well...

MargotLovedTom · 20/12/2016 14:15

Yes, my understanding is that it goes:

Isobel - Scottish
Isabel - Spanish
Isabelle - French
Isabella - Italian

Linked to the name Elizabeth?

NoCapes · 20/12/2016 13:12

I have a 5 year old Isobel, and I've never ever registered the 'sob' part and now I'll never be able to unsee it

1horatio · 20/12/2016 13:07

Isn't Isabel simply the Portuguese and Spanish version of the name?

BitOutOfPractice · 20/12/2016 13:05

The sob thing never occurred to me either. How odd

BitOutOfPractice · 20/12/2016 13:04

I have an Isobel and it rarely gets misspelled. And I still love the name even though it usually gets slagged off on MN

In my opinion it should be spelled Isobel (British version) or Isabelle (French version) and not mixed up like Isabel or Isobelle.

RemusLupinsChristmasMovie · 20/12/2016 10:25

Have been writing 'my' Isobel's name for nearly twenty nears now, and the 'sob' thing has never entered my head.

MargotLovedTom · 20/12/2016 10:22

Anyway, you've decided now. You'll find it a lot easier to buy personalised things with the A spelling that's for sure (Isabelle even more so)!

MargotLovedTom · 20/12/2016 10:20

Have never once thought of the 'sob' thing. Isabel makes me feel I need to overpronounce the 'a' - IsAbel - while Isobel flows better for me. I also like the Scottish aspect of Isobel.

1horatio · 20/12/2016 10:03

Isabel Joy is lovely. (I personally do agree with DH's opinion on Isobel, but that's just personal taste)

And there are so many gorgeous boy's names!

Original poster
CesareBorgiasUnicornMask · 20/12/2016 09:50

Wow I haven't looked since I posted! Update is, having talked to dh it turns out he doesn't just prefer the Isabel spelling, he actively dislikes Isobel, like a Pp because of the 'sob' part. So I'm prepared to acquiesce gracefully to Isabel (Joy).

Baby's obviously going to be a boy now...

OP posts:
MyBootsAreMuddy · 20/12/2016 09:31

Isobel Joy.
I only know 1 Isobel who is 17, but know at least 9 Isabel/le/la (aged 0-16) 5 of which have Grace as a middle name.

shaggedthruahedgebackwards · 20/12/2016 09:29

Isobel Joy