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Baby names

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

Original poster

Arabella or......

31 replies

livingthebeachhutlife · 05/12/2023 20:45

What are your thoughts on Arabella?
Is it likely to be shortened? I prefer names that generally less likely to be shortened.
Would you name a girl this?

Still super unsure and lost re girls names.
Evelina really intruiged me on another post, so have been mulling that over.

Also really liking Lily Rose and Summer Rose but concerned they are a bit "sweet"?

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ButterCupPie · 05/12/2023 21:28

For DH, me, my son and my daughter, Arabella is our default 'snooty girl's name' that we use when laughing about hoity-toity folk and their kids. That or Araminta. Little Arabella's tripped over a servant again!

jersydress · 05/12/2023 21:18

I like Arabella, also Ariella, also Gabriella... But, yes, likely will be shortened.

How about Aurelia?

ChanelNo19EDT · 05/12/2023 21:14

Not keen. I prefer the other bel names Isobel, Cristabel, Annabel, all good names.
But Arabella is hard to shorten. Arra is not a natural short form.

It seems like there should be a letter before it. What do you thi k of Maribel? Also prettier than Arabella.

AnonymousArmadillo · 05/12/2023 21:10

I would say Arabella is incredibly likely to be shortened. People will shorten anything though. SIL tried to shorten DD2’s name - Aoife to Aoifs (Eefa to eefs) - and I was less than thrilled. My face must have said it all because she’s not tried it again.

Arabella is a bit faffy for me but it’s not my style of name.

Aquamarine1029 · 05/12/2023 21:08

Arabella is too Disney Princess in my opinion. I don't care for names that have 'bella' in them. I love Farrah, and it has the same ending sound as Arabella and is unlikely to be shortened.

Doublebiscuit77 · 05/12/2023 21:04

I find Arabella a bit horsey. I guess it could be shortened to Ari? Or Bella?

I've lurked on MN long enough to hazard a guess that neither Lily Rose or Summer Rose will be terribly popular (Rose overused as a middle name, both names overdone in general etc) - but i really like both of them. There aren't really that many, as even popular names aren't as popular as, say, Catherine and Claire in the 80s. There's more variety. Lovely sounding names. They will end up Lily or Summer probably.

I liked Evelina on the other post too.