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Original poster

Isabella or Clarissa?

45 replies

PocketFullofMumbles · 16/09/2018 04:48

Second girl on the way and needing some help with names! I really like classic girls’ names, ending in ‘a’ generally, but don’t want a super common one. My dd is Alexa, which feels classic, but not too out there

I love Clarissa for the same reason, but can’t decide if people will think it sounds too pretentious, or the connotations of the novel are too bleak! DH likes Isabella, and I do too, but worry there are a lot around - it doesn’t feel quite as ‘special’ as Clarissa. Any thoughts?!

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BriKelly10 · 18/09/2018 00:02

I'm biased, there was a girl at my school called Clarissa who was absolutely awful and the name itself is clunky.
Isabella is beautiful, not overly unique but not so common as that there'd be 5 in a class (i think)

fittedwardrobes · 17/09/2018 20:13

Clarissa.

Viviolet · 17/09/2018 19:51

^ please don’t, hideously frumpy while still being as frilly as Clarissa

AnyaMoondial · 17/09/2018 19:49

How about Marissa?

MadMaryBoddington · 17/09/2018 19:25

Clarissa at a push. But they are both too frilly for me tbh.

PetraRabbit · 17/09/2018 11:48

I think Isabella is gorgeous but hate the abbreviations Bella (I think the connotations of stunning beauty are too much burden to put on a child) and Izzie (fluffy and nothingy). Also it's pretty much the top most popular name.
Clarissa though. That is so very beautiful. Going wonderfully with Alexa. By the way, I love the use of Alexa. It's annoying it's been taken over by Amazon.

Bimbop5 · 17/09/2018 02:22

What about Carissa without the "L"?

flybabyfly · 17/09/2018 01:56

Clarissa, definitely! I also like Clara.

Sleepykate · 17/09/2018 01:50

I think Isabella is nicer but Clarissa is less common. So I'm not sure what I'd go for! Probably Isabella

Viviolet · 16/09/2018 21:37

I agree with a pp with Clara. Both Clarissa and Isabella are a bit frilly

Threeandabit · 16/09/2018 21:33

Clarissa, I also like Claire and Claira. Also love the name Sheridan if that appeals.

HairyToity · 16/09/2018 21:21

I love both. To me Isabella would be shortened to Issy or Bella, and Clarissa shortened to Clarrie.

I tried to persuade DH into Isobel shortened to Bel. We chose a different name in the end though.

Hezziegirl · 16/09/2018 21:02

Clara is nice. I prefer it to Clarissa.

MikeUniformMike · 16/09/2018 19:34

I don't like Izzy or Bella, but Clarrie is worse.

vintagechick43 · 16/09/2018 19:31

I prefer Clarissa, I also like Claudia .

Shellios1 · 16/09/2018 19:24

We have a Larissa and have had lots of compliments on her name.

daisypond · 16/09/2018 17:33

I probably prefer Isabella as a name, but I do like Clarissa, although I'm wondering if it's a little frilly. Perhaps it's the double S. It doesn't have the simplicity of Alexa. Clara? Silence of the Lambs is Clarice, so irrelevant.

LeonoraFlorence · 16/09/2018 15:32

Isabella is my all time favourite girls name. I have DDs and another on the way and we don’t know a huge number around here.

Disfordarkchocolate · 16/09/2018 14:59

Clarissa is my favourite but they are both lovely. I didn't think of Silence of the Lambs (and wasn't that Clarice?).

userabcname · 16/09/2018 14:57

I think Isabella is a beautiful name but very popular. I really like Clarissa - elegant and unusual.

EthelThePiratesDaughter · 16/09/2018 14:56

Isabella is overused but there's something about Clarissa that just feels a bit over the top for me.

Have you thought about Larissa or Nerissa?

IVflytrap · 16/09/2018 14:53

Clarissa is lovely. I did like Isabella, but it is so overwhelmingly popular that I find it a bit bland nowadays, and it will date.

I didn't know about the bleak connotations of Clarissa and doubt it will be the first thing on anyone's mind.

Meltedicicle · 16/09/2018 13:53

I love Isabella but as others have said, it is massively overused. I don’t like Clarissa, but I love Melissa which sounds similar and sounds nice with Alexa.

DramaAlpaca · 16/09/2018 13:50

I think Clarissa would be gorgeous with Alexa.

My autocorrect just changed Clarissa to Larissa, which is nice too.

KellyMarieTunstall2 · 16/09/2018 13:49

I almost chose Clarissa for my DD. It's rarely heard, and a lovely name