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Baby names

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

Original poster

Arabella or Cecilia?

90 replies

Mum8 · 31/12/2017 22:07

Can’t seem to be making up our mind
Which one do you like more and why?
Arabella or Cecilia?

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demirose87 · 01/01/2018 14:01

Cecelia. Always had this name on my list for my daughters but something always held me back from using it. Lovely name

TabbyCat864 · 01/01/2018 13:57

Definitely Cecilia. So nice.

onlyonaTuesday · 01/01/2018 11:54

Cecelia is a beautiful name.

MollyHuaCha · 01/01/2018 11:24

Cecelia. Beautiful name. Nn can be Celia, Cici, Lia.

Footle · 01/01/2018 10:52

Mirabel. Add an -le and you get a beautiful golden plum. Lyssia and Cecelia are too close in sound, for me.

daisypond · 01/01/2018 10:42

Both names are fine, but I much prefer Cecilia - patron saint of music, etc. Arabella is like a "spoilt rich girl" name to me. It seems very frilly somehow.

AppleKatie · 01/01/2018 09:09

I love Arabella and I’ve met more than my fair share through work. Yet to meet weak or fluffy one they are all great in their own ways.

Cecelia I don’t like as much and has different connotations for me.

How about Mabel or as a pp said, Saskia is lovely.

CrestedTit · 01/01/2018 09:01

Cecelia and LeeSEEa sound fine together imo.

Mirabel makes me think of skiing, but that's not a terrible association.

Have you considered Christabel?

TheDailyMailIsADisgustingRag · 01/01/2018 09:00

Try yelling the two names up the stairs. If it’s too essy then you’ll know. Also, are you likely to end up mixing them together and saying Lysselia etc? I know brothers called Alastair and Oliver and they get “Ollister... I mean Alliver” sometimes.

Fwiw, Arabella is nicer imo than Cecilia anyway. Cecilia strikes me as a bit fusty for some reason, though I know it’s popular on here. It definitely isn’t dreadful though.

Original poster
Mum8 · 01/01/2018 08:49

ElizaDontlittle I thought so too and now I’m thinking maybe between Maribel or Mirabel... kind of going off Arabella but knowing me I may change my mind in a few days, lol
Cecilia I still love but I want to avoid getting us confused. I’m already calling DP DS name and the names are far apart, lol
Will have to think that through...

OP posts:
ElizaDontlittle · 01/01/2018 08:38

I love Cecelia but I think it's too similar, personally.

Whatsinanameanyway201 · 01/01/2018 08:37

Arabella has always sounded like a pasta sauce to me

Original poster
Mum8 · 01/01/2018 08:24

Or rather Mirabel, too tired today 😉

OP posts:
lynmilne65 · 01/01/2018 08:15

Arabella

Original poster
Mum8 · 01/01/2018 08:15

Meant the only thing “I do not like as much is” the many S sounds... did not write correctly above...

OP posts:
Original poster
Mum8 · 01/01/2018 08:13

CocoLoco87 it is also the patron of the music, a nicer association and the other meaning is something people will not think when they meet her or think about... it was not the first meaning of the name either...

DailyMails yes similar, the only thing I’d do many S sounds in both names and that kind of throws me off... though I love Cecilia lots

Now I’m thinking of Maribel, does that go better or is Cecilia a winner? Despite the many S sounds in both names...

OP posts:
CocoLoco87 · 01/01/2018 08:00

I love Cecelia with nn Cee Cee. Only thing that puts me off using it for a potential future dd is it's meaning (blind).

TheDailyMailIsADisgustingRag · 01/01/2018 07:56

So a bit like Lucia? Lucia and Cecelia sounds fine together. How about Cecily though? Does that work better? I’m biased though as I just prefer Cecily!

Original poster
Mum8 · 01/01/2018 07:35

How about the Sound of Cecilia with other DD’s name? Is It too similar that it can be confusing? Her name is more along the lines of Lyssia pronounced Lee-SEE-a
Not exact name but almost

OP posts:
Joeybee · 01/01/2018 00:38

Cecilia for sure. Arabella is a bit...I dunno weak, boring, cutesy.
Cecilia is fantastic as it is not too popular, it's an old lady sort of name that is totally ready for a come back. And fantastic nn potential - Cilla, CeCe, Cee, Celia. The only think that puts me off is that the name means 'blind'.

Joinourclub · 31/12/2017 23:30

I much prefer Cecilia. Other options: Celeste? Saskia?

Mrsknackered · 31/12/2017 23:26

I love Cecilia. A very close friend of mine (who is wonderful in every aspect) is a Cecilia, sometimes Sessy.

I'm not a fan of Arabella, I imagine if I had named a baby aged 9 I would have picked it.

Original poster
Mum8 · 31/12/2017 23:20

Hm Cecilia seems to be growing on me now... Love Celia too
But I Have a DD named along the lines of Lyssia (Lee-SEE-a) not exact name but very close and think Celia will be too similar whereas Cecilia has an extra syllable and is better.
What seems to keep throwing me off with Cecilia is the S sound in both names and I keep wondering whether the two are too much of the same sound. What do you think?
And I’m Kind of not sure on Arabella now, love Isabella too but hate that it is too common ... which is why we have not considered it at all...

OP posts:
tinytemper66 · 31/12/2017 23:19

Cecilia was my lovely Nan's name x so biased towards it!

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 31/12/2017 23:12

Cecilia"

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