Angelica or Arabella?!

[Custardcreamsallday]

Hi all,

Baby girl arrived yesterday and is currently nameless! We thought we had whittled it down to Arabella or Angelica...but totally unsure whether she's either of these!

Possibly Arabella Faith and Angelica Grace.. Although very open to middle name suggestions (no family names we would like to use).

Happy to hear your thoughts and any other suggestions we might like. She has a brother called Franklin (who is always Franklin).

Thanks all! One tired mum and dad trying to get it right!

Arabella!

Araminta as a curve ball?

Thanks again.. We continue to be undecided today! She could quite easily be either I'm sure... Getting pressure from grandparents who are desperate for us to name her already but have kept our cards close to our chest so we aren't influenced by their opinions!

Arabella! Love Arabella Strange in 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'! Whereas Angelica, although pretty, just makes me think of the awful girl in the Rugrats!

Angelica is fab

Arabella seems a bit more elegant and classic sounding imo (at least historically it is in Scotland).

Angelica is more unusual but has a bit of sickly sweet sound to me, sorry (although I may too be biased because the Rugrats character!).

Either way Grace is quite generic now as a middle. Faith is nice but if you want other one syllable suggestions - depending on your surname I'd consider Eve, Jane, Kate, Faye, Tess, Gwen or Hope.

Arabella

I prefer Angelica. How about Angelica Mary?

I have an Arabella. I tell you everywhere we go people tell us what a beautiful name she has. The only thing is so many shorten it to Bella. Me included sometimes

Angelica! It’s very rare but yet everyone knows the name and how to pronounce - an amazing combination!

Arabella is on the increase and is having a bit of a moment. It’s already 71st according to the 2019 data and I wouldn’t be surprised if in 2020 data goes up to 50-odd.

Angelica is a little green sugar coated stick used in baking to decorate cakes .

Why would you call a child that name ?

Arabella is lovely.

Angelica. I think Angel not Ange would be the go to shorter form.

Arabella is hard to shorten too. Arra? Arrie? It's like Felicity, you have to say the whole name every single time because the first syllable doesnt work as a nick name

Angelina? Sounds softer and has the option of Lina as a nickname.

Arabella is lovely but I have a 4yo and 2yo and have come across quite a few through baby groups and nursery, if popularity bothers you.

Neither.
Angelica is the bossy Rug Rat, and Arabella sounds posh.

Neither is something I'd personally pick, if I'm honest. Of the two I prefer Angelica, with Angel for short. I know a lot of young Bellas (whether Ara- or Isa- or Anna-) which probably puts me off Arabella somewhat.

I wonder if not being able to choose is a sign that neither is quite working for you? (Assuming you haven't already chosen, that is?)

Just read that her brother is Franklin so Im doubling down on my vote for Angelica.
Angelica and Franklin sound like quirky strong names.

Arabella sounds like she should have a brother called Quentin.

Arabella Grace is lovely. Just to confuse things more, have you considered Araminta?

Angelica is a little green sugar coated stick used in baking to decorate cakes . Why would you call a child that name ?

I for one would fully name a child after cake decorations! And in any case, it's a plant - the cake decoration is the candied stem. They're are tons of plant names used as given names (even if you don't get into flowers); there's nothing particularly strange about them.

LOVE Arabella.

Angelica is rugrat to me.

Arrabella is a gorgeous unusual name.

Angelica