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

Ivy or Annabel?

54 replies

Horsesandatoddler · 28/04/2024 04:43

DD due in a couple of weeks and we can't decide!
Ivy and Annabel seem to be top 2 of our short list which also included Isobel, Poppy and Emily. DH isn't keen on Annabel being shortened to Annie but likes the full name.
Thoughts?!

OP posts:
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Gemstonebeach · 28/04/2024 04:52

I think both are lovely but I think Annabel might be shortened to either Annie or Bel/le. My daughter gets called a variation of her name I never intended because it is what people default to.

Theoldwoman · 28/04/2024 05:00

Annabel. Ivy isn’t in my top ten but Annabel is.

musicalfrog · 28/04/2024 05:54

Ivy.

There are Annabels everywhere.

PoppingTomorrow · 28/04/2024 06:11

I prefer Ivy.

UnpickThePockets · 28/04/2024 06:15

Annabel. It’s a lovely name.

I find Ivy to be incredibly unattractive. I dislike both the sound, connotations and the plant. Strong dislike.

HuntingoftheSnark · 28/04/2024 06:19

I really like Ivy but know many more of those than Annabels. If that bothers you at all.

Ibelieveinangles1 · 28/04/2024 06:39

I swear there are many many more Ivys (and similar Evie, Eva, Ava) than Annabels. Definitely Annabelle. It will age better and is classier.

Purplecatshopaholic · 28/04/2024 06:42

Anything but Ivy, frankly. Doesn’t have a nice sound to it and the plant is ugly!

autumn1610 · 28/04/2024 07:02

Can’t bear Annabel I know it’s really popular but I would go Ivy out of the two

SapphosRock · 28/04/2024 07:07

Emily and Isobel are both lovely.

Not keen on Ivy or Poppy.

Annabel is okay but a bit a bit fussy for my taste.

BoleynMemories13 · 28/04/2024 07:08

I would go for Ivy, as you might not be able to avoid Annabel being shortened forever. Isobel sounds like a nice compromise too if you both like it as you still have the same end sound, without the risk of ber being Annie (assuming he's ok with Issy that is!).

Ivy is much more popular than Annabel, statistically, but I'm guessing that doesn't bother you as all of your other choices are quite popular.

FlameTulip · 28/04/2024 07:09

Ivy and Poppy are my favourites.

GoodVibesHere · 28/04/2024 07:11

Ivy isn't nice at all, it's such a drab sounding name, and the plant is a bit of a boring looking weed.

I like Emily.

GoingOnHol · 28/04/2024 07:13

musicalfrog · 28/04/2024 05:54

Ivy.

There are Annabels everywhere.

I was going to say the other way round 😂
I only know one Annabel (a grown up) and she doesn't shorten her name

MidnightPatrol · 28/04/2024 07:14

I had two childhood friends called Annabel and in all the years I’ve known them, I’ve never know their names to be shortened!

It seems unlikely she will be ‘Annie’, Annabel is pretty standalone and people don’t associate it with a nickname in the way they would with Izzy etc.

merrymelodies · 28/04/2024 07:15

Ivy = clingy plant

Lilacdew · 28/04/2024 07:21

Annabel. I like all the shortened versions - Anna, Belle, Bella, Annie, and the long version is elegant.

Ivy is a clinging plant that wrecks your brickwork.

Horsesandatoddler · 28/04/2024 08:12

Thanks all!

Think we're leaning towards Annabel. I've been a teacher for 11 years and only met one Ivy so I think the popularity is yet to make it up to the secondary schools!! Of the Annabels I've met none of them were shortened to anything which reassured DH! I don't mind more popular names having seen the difficulties kids with more unique names get with constant misspelling and mispronunciation. At the moment every class I have seems to have an Isobel/Isabel/Isabelle and a Poppy but Annabels are less common.

Isobel was the original favourite but DH is very put off by one of DS's friends with the same name who is a bit of a nightmare 😂

OP posts:
TreetopWrappingArea · 28/04/2024 08:17

We've got an Annabel - as a (young) adult she has chosen to go by Anna l, which I like. Bit that annoys me is that over her life time the popularity of Annabel spelling has waned and Annabelle spelling now overwhelmingly the preferred. and I don't like it. I think it's frilly, pretentious and a cut and shunt name!

Moreteaandchocolate · 28/04/2024 08:42

I love both names! Personally my favourite is Ivy - I love how short and simple it is and gorgeous for all ages. Annabel is lovely too, another of my favourites, I’m just more of a fan of names that aren’t easily shortened, personally.

IrisRuby · 28/04/2024 10:32

Love Ivy! Pretty name that would be my choice I also love Emily too as I have one and she is very sweet. I actually think the plant is pretty I don't know why people moan about it.

strugglingmomx · 28/04/2024 10:40

I really don't like Ivy. Annabelle is better but out of your names I prefer Isobel

35andThriving · 28/04/2024 11:35

My sister was almost an Annabel. She was named Abigail in the end though. I think it might end up misspelled as Annabelle a lot, which would annoy me. Ivy is very popular here. I would expect an Annabel to be the only one in her class. However, I would only use Ivy if I was happy with her being known as "Ivy initial" at school.

There is an Ella in my son's class, and she was known as Ella B, until the other Ella changed schools. I find it really weird because it feels like she's only part of her name now and like she really should be Ella-Bea! Grin

BingoMarieHeeler · 28/04/2024 11:37

Ivy/evie/ava/isla are absolutely everywhere and totally unmemorable and overdone.

I don’t know any little Annabels and it’s not my cup of tea but very inoffensive.

KirstenBlest · 28/04/2024 11:51

Ivy - seems to blend into all the Evie, Ava, Eva and Isla names. Clingy weed that's difficult to get rid of. Ivy Brennan.
Annabel - will be Anna, Annie or Bel(le). The Annabelle spelling is currently more popular
Isobel - nice but there are so many Isabellas and Isabelles. She'll be 'Isobel with an o' or Izzy
Poppy - lovely
Emily - safe, classic

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