What does Annabelle remind you of?

[dogfishing]

DH really likes the name Annabelle. I'm open to it, but I'm trying to figure out if it has some kind of negative connotation in the UK.

We both grew up abroad, which is why I'm afraid of missing some kind of negative connotation (like, I don't know, maybe there used to be catfood called Annabelle or something).

There seems to be a doll in the UK called baby Annabell, but that doesn't put me off. Should it?

Any other reason not to give that name to a child growing up here?

Not that I'm aware of. It's a lovely name.

I think of the horror film

It does make me think of Baby Annabelle mostly because my 2yr old dd is obsessed right now. I think it's an ok name, but perhaps a little dated. Isobelle probably took over in recent years which I find very common these days.

There's no reason to not have it if you like it I think.

Evil haunted doll

It reminds me of the creepy possessed doll

The only association I can think of is the baby doll. (I don’t think they’re very cute dolls, sadly, but that alone is probably not a big deal.)

I love the name it was in my top names when I was last pregnant.
Beautiful, also love it shortened to Anna.

The doll. I also find it very fussy.

Possessed doll from a horror film

The horror film doll!

Yes the name annabelle makes me think of a doll but that’s because I have a 4 year old girl, not a bad connection though

The possessed doll horror film. Or the creepy actual doll d's 4 carried around with him for about 3 years

Oh I didn’t know there was a horror film. I wouldn’t be too bothered about that either tbh, but then I don’t really have the horror genre on my radar.

I knew someone called Damien growing up in the 80s and he used to have to put up with a lot of jokes about The Omen, but that’s probably more because Damien was a pretty unusual name in any other context.

First thought is the horror film. Sorry.

I don't watch horror movies so have no idea what possessed dolls are called

I had a very big, elaborate doll in a big puffy Victorian dress given to me by relatives as a small child, and she was already named Annabelle (by them? Who knows?) So to me it suggests a doll in a fussy period dress that was actually too big and hard to play with.

The doll

Spell it Annabel, which I think is so much nicer, and I wouldn't have that association. Annabelle is too frilly.

I absolutely adore it, and have also known some seriously cool Annabels. Horror doll isn’t on my radar at all, no idea what film it’s even from. Prefer the simpler spelling without the ‘le’ at the end though, much less fussy.

To me it's a cow's name. Like Clarabelle.
Maybe it's the spelling? Annabel is much, much better. Much classier and elegant.

Oh yes, the horror film came up when I googled it. I'm trying to figure out if that should really put me off. I've never seen it.

It’s very frilly. The standard spelling in the U.K. is Annabel. Annabelle isn’t very classy - unless you’re French.

I really like it.

My daughter, Annabel 🤣🥰

The name Annabel(le) reminds me of Annabel (Nan) St. George, the heroine of Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers; I love that book and character so would be delighted if I met someone with the name! I steer far, far away from anything in the horror genre so the doll other posters have mentioned would never even cross my mind.

I prefer the Annabel spelling as I think it's more classic, chic. Annabelle is a but frilly for me. There is a horror film but I don't think it's going to become iconic so wouldn't let that put you off. Nor would the doll put me off either. I know a few Annabelle's and it doesn't seem to have been an issue.