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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Is it too popular?

69 replies

jasminesunflower · 02/04/2023 08:29

Is Isabella too popular or dull?

What about Isabella "Bella"?

Is Isabelle less popular where you are?

and would you say they are about to be dated?

Is Isabella "Bella" too Twilight?

OP posts:
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pictoosh · 02/04/2023 08:30

Yes, will become dated. Doesn't matter though, it's still a pretty name.

What about Isadora instead? Dora is very sweet.

Number24Bus · 02/04/2023 08:31

I think Isabella is pretty, and I def wouldn't associate Bella with Twilight any more. It is quite popular if that's a problem for you. I have a DD with a popular name and it's fine!

AHelpfulHand · 02/04/2023 08:32

It’s really common.

Bella is also a very common cats name

IfDreamsWereWings · 02/04/2023 08:33

I love the name, but there are 3 in my daughters year group, so it is quite popular

Clettercletterthatsbetter · 02/04/2023 08:33

There are 16 girls in my daughter’s class. Three of them are called Bella/Isabella.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 02/04/2023 08:34

I prefer the Isobel spelling

00100001 · 02/04/2023 08:34

Nobody cares.

Even the most popular names aren't that common.

700,000 babies are born each year. Let's assume ½ we're girls. Which is 350,000 girls.

Only 3,649 were called Olivia in 2022. And that was number 1.

So that's 1 in 100 kids.

Call your child the name you like.

custardbear · 02/04/2023 08:36

It Bella it sounds like belly

Isabella is nice - all names go in And lot of fashion to be honest

Beginningless · 02/04/2023 08:38

For me it’s both popular and dull, but we are all different and you should choose a name you love regardless of what others think!

TomatoFrog · 02/04/2023 08:39

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Kanaloa · 02/04/2023 08:40

It is very popular but it’s also very nice. So it depends what your priorities are really. Annabelle or Arabella are less popular and still give the nickname Bella.

pictoosh · 02/04/2023 08:42

Yes lots of dogs seems to be called Bella.

Mind you we've got an Oscar and that not only became v popular but is a popular name for cats. It's never been a problem.

PortiasBiscuit · 02/04/2023 08:42

I have a 20 year old Olivia, still love the name. I think she knows two other Olivias. Names are popular because they are beautiful, it’s still a tiny proportion of the population that will ever have one name. If you love a name, use it.

AuntieStella · 02/04/2023 08:43

It's not dated, and is a classic stretching back to mediaeval times. It spiked in popularity between about 2005-2010, but fell back after that.

There are other names that have been much more frequently used in the last decade+

The dull/overused names (by the actual numbers given) since then are Sophie (and variants) and Evie (and variants) plus the perennial Olivia

Vodababy · 02/04/2023 08:44

I think so. There's a little girl in my son's class (5) called Rosabella (Bella) which I'd never heard of before Smile

MyOtherUsernameIsDave · 02/04/2023 09:40

Sooo popular. Bella is also the no.1 dogs name.

Tellmethespoiler · 02/04/2023 09:42

Isabella is quite popular,but it’s a nice name. I know a few in their 20s and late teens.
Isabelle is a bit cringey, unless you are French. It’s Isabel or Isobel.

Twoinapod · 02/04/2023 12:57

I have an Isabelle. There’s also an Isobel, an Isabel and an Izzy in her year group. But she’s in secondary school now. Where I live it’s not as popular anymore in primary school age. I don’t like Bella, I just think of that horrible bossy cow from the Tweenies.

TheaBrandt · 02/04/2023 13:01

There’s usually an Isabel type name in most friendship groups as far as i can tell (two teen girls). All the Eve names should be swerved if popularity bothers you.

KirstenBlest · 02/04/2023 13:14

It's pretty but it's long and will be Izzy, Bella or Ella.
Isabel(le) is also very popular as is Ella.
If you like it, use it, but I'd avoid using Rose, Grace or May as a middle name.

jasminesunflower · 02/04/2023 13:57

Tellmethespoiler · 02/04/2023 09:42

Isabella is quite popular,but it’s a nice name. I know a few in their 20s and late teens.
Isabelle is a bit cringey, unless you are French. It’s Isabel or Isobel.

Isabelle is the most common spelling in the UK.

The name isn't English in general so I don't see how it matters? Isobel is Scottish and Isabel is Spanish.

Why is the Spanish spelling okay but the French one cringey?

OP posts:
FiveHundredDucksWentOutOneDay · 02/04/2023 14:00

I don't know any. It's always called popular, it always seems to be ruled out based on popularity, but I don't know any.

I know three Avas, quite a few Olivias, four Evie's born in the last year alone...

I like Isabelle. If you like it, I wouldn't rule it out based on popularity unless you personally know half a dozen.

Pullthecurtains · 02/04/2023 14:04

There aren’t any Isabella’s or Isabelle’s in my kids school (Scotland). There are however multiple Auroras which I would have thought would be more uncommon so I think it depends on the area you live in as well.

LadyKenya · 02/04/2023 14:04

Yes it's a popular name. There were a few in the school that I worked in. They were never called by their full name though for some reason.

ChildrenOfTheQuorn · 02/04/2023 14:18

I know a baby Isabella but she's an Izzy (yuck).