Arabella -Too popular now?

[RaaRaah]

Love the name Arabella, but just read singer from X-Factor has named her baby girl this name! Maybe it's a too popular name now? and will now become more popular over the coming years?

I love this name but want a classic girls name that isn't too popular and won't date.

Suggestions please? -Also like Annabel but also too popular? (Claudia doesn't go with our surname. Ophelia seems a bit too much? although love this name and DH not too keen).

(To go with a Hugo)

I've never met an Arabella and only met one Annabel, who is late teens.

I only know one Arabella & she's an adult. I love the name & it goes very well with Hugo.

I only know adult annabels and no arabellas at all. I like claudia. How bad is it with your sur name? Ophelia would be quite silly imo. I loved Hamlet.

Maybe they're not too popular names after all then!

Forgot to say, also like Ottilie but also seems too popular - well Tilly.

Arabella is lovely op and does go nicely with Hugo.

I also think it goes so well with Hugo

Claudia makes it alliterative, which I'm not too sure on.

I think you're right with Ophelia (-it's just so lovely but wouldn't pass the supermarket test)

Arabella is a gorgeous name but, you are right, I've heard of two people using it in the past week. It's one of those names I associate with being posh err, not anymore.

Never met an Arabella - my first thought was the Arctic Monkeys' song!

If you wanted to shorten it to Bella however, that’s quite popular thanks to Isabella.

Arabella's a name I've loved for years but we're not smart so tried to dismiss it, with it being seen as a 'posh' type name. Good that it's not always heard in that way but then don't want a too popular name either.

I want a girls name that isn't associated with 'class' just a classic name.

I like Bella as a 'pet' name (in my twenties I spent time in Italy and love the thought of calling a baby girl "beautiful" (but in a secret pet name, not in English)

I don't know the Arctic Monkeys song -will have to google!

Christabella, Araminta, Mariella?

I don't know any baby Arabellas but A is the most popular letter when it comes to naming girls.

I also love Athena

I actually know three little Arabellas. All under 5. I do think it's one of those names thy was once really posh but has become very middle class. Same with other names ending in "ella". I liken it to Hugo actually. That used to be super posh but I hear it quite a lot now. Just back from holiday and there were two little Hugos by the pool.

Oh, I didn't notice you have a Hugo! Didn't mean to sound bitchy there, I do like both names - obviously they work well together!

I don't know any little Arabellas but maybe they'll be increasing although I was at school with one. I know 2 little Annabels and one big one. I also know a grown up Bella.

Dd1 loves the names Vanessa and Andrea -which she pronounces An-drey-a which I think of in the same vein.

Other classic but not popular names:
Miranda
Melissa
Anastasia
Allegra

I love Arabella. Have a Claudia myself and also like Juliette, Vivienne, Greta, Fiona, Penelope, Nancy, Eliza, Susan, Valerie, Vanessa and Jacqueline

Love Arabella, only know one grown up one.
What about Christobel? Or is that more out there than Arabella?

Perfect with Hugo. I love it.

Love.

prefer christabel and annabel. Arabella has to be shortened to bella. I like hugo and bella though. sounds lovely. but 'arra' is not an easy shortening.

I love the name Arabella though there is a nursery song/rhyme called Arabella Caterpillar :)

I don't know any. I know one Annabel which sounds like a doll's name to my ears, but I'm not a fan of 'Belle' names at all.

I was going to say Allegra too good name

The only Arabella I know is my own, and she is the only one I have ever met, is my biased response

I loved it, but it's totally and utterly ruined for me now X Factor rejects are using it.

I hadn't even heard about Rebecca Fergusons baby and I'm fairly au fair with the Daily Mail's sidebar of shame. If it was Cheryl Cole then maybe I'd think twice but with this one, hardly anyone will make the connection and shes not that big a star. Go for it.

Love Christabel! And wasn't there a Christabel Pankhurst? Great name heritage!