Isabel or Isabelle

[SoonToBeSix]

Which do you prefer and are they pronounced the same? I can't decide which spelling to go for.

Isabel
Isabelle
Isobel
that order

Isobel

Isobel, but Isabella is better.

YY, it will ALWAYS be spelled wrong by people whichever spelling you use.

We get such a variety! It's never the one we use :).

Ishbel?

Rhubarb you beat me to it! My friend has a lovely Ishbel.

It really doesn't matter,she'll be one of 7 in her class and you'll have to correct people all the time no matter how you spell it.

I know an Ysabella,Isabella,Isabel,Isobelle and an Isobel,all under 5.

FWIW I prefer the Isobel spelling,it looks prettier to my eye,
but I'd never use it as despite being a perfectly lovely name,it has the worst points of being über popular and 'of the moment' and the worst bit (constant explanation and spelling out) of unusual names too.

How about Imogen?

Ishbel is lovely!

Isobel

I agree Up - if you want to go properly Scottish go with Ishbel.

Isabel is far nicer than Isabelle.

Isabelle. Isabel looks unfinished and Isobel looks ugly (to me).

Isabel. I have one and she's perfect lol. The extra le in totally unnecessary

Isobel.

She won't be one of 7 in her class ... there were 826000 babies born in 2012; around 7000 called Isobel or Isabella, Isabel or Isabelle. So unless you have a class of 826 children, 7 of them will not be called Izzy. It's about 1 in 60 girls.

Worrying about popularity is a bit pointless, IMO

Isobel

Isobel or Isabel.

Why on earth confuse your poor DD with w pointless le from another language, you don't pronounce and don't need.

What's confusing about an extra 'le'?? Are all the adult Isabelles walking around in a haze cursing the heavens that they still can't get to grips with the final two letters of their name?

Isabelle for me. I have an Isabella and out of 85 kids at her kindergarten are there only two and she is one of them. No problems with pronunciation mainly because from the very first day they ask you what you want your child to be called and that's what they will call them. I'm so glad that I just went with the name I liked and i always get complimented on it, but then again I am in Norway and some Norwegians names would send anyone running.

I have an 8 year old Isobel, well 8 tomorrow anyway , my father is Scottish so it seemed the obvious choice and I do pronounce is with the oh sound, it's a gentle oh sound though, I don't make a guttural grunt in the middle if her name, lol.

It became massively popular within 2 years of her being born, I love it but sometimes wish I'd home with Annabel instead. Mind you, there's only 2 in her whole school and she's the elder of the two.

Oh, and it's never ever Izzy, bleurgh!

Sorry about all the typos, I'm on my phone and my nail varnish is wet!

Definitely Isabel as I have a beautiful dd with that name but Grandstanding is spot on.

Isabel. Very elegant whereas imo Isabelle is unnecessarily frilly.

I prefer Isabel to Isobel because I don't like the sob in Isobel.

Scottish pronunciation is iss-obel though which is much softer and more pleasant to the ears than iz-abel.

I have an Isabella and despite everyone on these baby name threads saying it's too popular, she's the only one at her nursery and I've yet to meet another Isabella!

I've also never had an issue with the spelling of her name.

Oh and we called her Izzie for short. It suits her and, personally, is far from "bleurgh"!

Isobel.

I always think Isabelle is too "Disney".