Ariella - what's your thoughts on this name?

[Futter]

This is our current top pick for a girl that my husband and I can agree on ... we have a very short and harsh surname so wanted something pretty and not too common either.
Also we thought we could shorten to Ella or Ari later on too...
Can I have some opinions on what you think?

If it's an August baby and you are looking for a soft name to balance a harsher surname, how about:

Leonie
Leonora
Leonore
Cleo
Leah

Tree fu Tom is all I can think of. The character from the cbeebies show. What about Ariel? Mariella?

Very frilly, as is Mariella. I once knew a Grrek key called Mirella, which seems similar but one syllable fewer and so seems a little less fussy.

No more frilly than Arabella, Isabella or Gabriella

Would definitely be too close to areola for me. Too many obvious opportunities for piss taking.

My first thought was Ariel washing powder as it's the one I use.

@FartnissEverbeans thanks for your comments ... I also find Mariella very frumpy unfortunately along with Arabella as well.

@mathanxiety we are pronouncing it with a short A sound in line with the "Ari" nickname ... like Harry without the H. So neither of the pronounciations you have written.

It's also not a made up name to all those suggesting it

But yes it is a frilly name but that's what we wanted as our surname is harsh so shorter and stronger names don't really work ... we need quite a few syllables for it to sound right.
Other frilly names we liked which are more commonly used and friends have used before are:
Isabella
Annabella
Amelia
Etc etc

We wanted something pretty and not commonly used.

But thank you all for the comments ... one we still need to discuss as nickname calling is not what we want but I had a normal name and I still got some funny nicknames ... so I'm not sure you can win really?!

I very much doubt kids will know the word areola for goodness sake.

The Ariella I know is Jewish, has Jewish practicing parents and family. They believe the name to be Hebrew.

@futter if you like the name then use it, you won’t please everyone on here no matter what name you choose. Just go with something you love. Kids can be cruel be it names, hair colour, wearing glasses whatever, you can’t protect them from everything. All you can do is raise a strong resilient child to ride it out.

Nothing like areola!

Everything sounds like or rhymes with something.

It’s not definite enough for me, it’s what I call an A-a name, to me all names starting and ending with A sound the same and quite wishy washy. I really like the suggestion of Mariella as it’s still feminine and different but way more punchy. I know it’s not as pretty for a baby but for the future I think it would be so much better. Good luck choosing!

Disney

I think it is a lovely name and if you both like it then go for it!
If kids want to tease about a name they will rhyme it with anything. Even Frank wouldn't be safe ;)
Please don't be swayed by other people, you being happy with it is the main thing. Friends of our changed their daughters name as they came up against unhelpful family members, not because they wanted to, and it made them quite sad and regret it.

Also maybe rather than saying not to have a certain name because other children might tease, we try and teach our children to be kinder and embrace differences?!

Not keen on Ariella, but I love Ariel.

Tree Fu Tom.

Otherwise it's lovely.

I like it (although I did think of areola when I heard it).

I really don’t think kids will know what areola is and I don’t think she’d get picked on for it!

I like it and if you want something that sounds quite pretty and frilly to go with your surname then I think it works.

Aurelia is also very pretty and of a similar ilk. I’ve loved it since watching Love Actually.

With Aurelia I just hear Oral

Same as @Ellenripleysalienbaby

You won't meet Jewish people named Ariella
Erm, yes you will. All the Ariella’s I know are Jewish and there are about 7 in youngest primary school and 4 in middles year alone and it’s a very popular Jewish girls name. I absolutely love it, my favourite name ever.

It really sounds like areola to me.

What about Estella?

I think it’s lovely.

I really like Ariella. Ari or Ella are both lovely nicknames.

I find it annoying how people say the name is "too Disney" like it's a bad thing. What is wrong with having an association to a Disney Princess? Plus, Belle, Jasmine, Elsa, even Aurora have become popular names for girls over the last few years and no one bats an eyelid.

Ariella is lovely and if you like the sound and the meaning of it, go for it.

It's too close to lots of other quite similar names but much less familiar, so yes it just sounds as if you wanted an Ella/Annabel/Aurora type name but wanted to be a bit more yoonique so made one up.

I think it's because it's just a bit too frilly, that also makes it sound made up. Even though I know it's not!

So, a no from me.

It’s not made up though. Why do people keep saying this?

Just because you’ve never heard of it doesn’t mean it’s made up.