Josephine vs Isabelle (or Isabella)

[zuhura2]

Hi - our baby girl is due next month, and we are having some last minute doubts about our front runner name. I wanted to see what people think about Josephine vs Isabell(e/a) for her name. We are open to all of the nicknames for both (Jo, JoJo, Josie, Joey, Izzy, etc).

Her older sister is named Sophia and her last name will start with a J.

I love Isabelle and Isabelle, but would always choose Belle and Bella as nicknames over Izzy. I hate the name Izzy! Josie is gorgeous, that was on my list for second DD but she would have just been Josie not Josephine

I like Josephine more.
You might also like Joanna - another lovely name.

Isabella and all it's many variants has been popular for a long time - for good reason, it's a lovely name.
Josephine is much less used.
Personally I would go for the less commonly used name.

Given that you have a Sophia I don't think that the popularity of Isabelle/Isabella is an issue.
I prefer Josephine.
Isabella is pretty but it's so long it will get shortened.
I don't like Isobel - it's the least used spelling of a very popular name.

I don't really like Izzy, Bella or Josie.

If the surname is Jones I wouldn't pick Josephine. Jo Jones and Josie Jones don't sound good.

Definitely Josephine. All the Isabel names have been done to absolute death - they are now a wall paper / generic name. Definitely avoid.

I like Isabelle or Isabella better, but they are quite over-used at the moment.

Josephine I quite like but pleeeease don't call her Jojo or Joey.

Joey has had plenty of slang meanings that are all derogatory, from stupid to a condom, and Jojo sounds worse imo - like a slang term for a condom or BJ.

I have a slight preference to Isabelle over Isabella. I massively prefer both to Josephine, which I find very stuffy as a full name and Im really not keen on Josie.

I think Isabelle or Isabella would go much better with Sophia too.

My mum’s name is Isabelle and she’s forever having her name spelled incorrectly!

I like both, though not keen on Isabelle spelling, i prefer the simplicity of Isobel.

I like Josephine nn Josie

Love Josephine.

@17caterpillars1mouse , she'd be 'Isobel with an o'. Isabel is simpler and that spelling is more popular and used in Spanish-speaking countries.

Not another Isabelle.
I like Josephine, in a similar vein to Georgina.

Josephine ❤️❤️❤️ and diminutives Jo, Josie also ❤️❤️❤️

It depends on the surname. All we know is that it starts with J.

Jones, Johnson, Johnston, Jackson, James, Jacobs, Joseph, Jenkins, Jay, Jaffrey, Jenson, Jackman, Jalloh, Jagger, Jimenez ...

Josephine all the way

I like both Josephine and Isabella, I particularly think Isabella is very pretty.
I think all of the nicknames are good too, I'm not crazy about Izzy, but I can see it being a good nickname once you get used to it.

When we named my Isabelle 30 years ago, it was pretty unique. Sad that it has become so ubiquitous. I still love it though.

I like Josephine, it would be nicely alliterative with your surname.

Well my daughter is Isabel, named after my great auntie and there has only ever been 1 or 2 more at secondary, college or uni so not sure where it’s common lol. I still love it and would use it again in a heartbeat ❤️

This thread has made me think of the Josie Smith books! Read them to my girls when they were young.
Never taught a Josephine. Love Josie.
As PPs have said lots of Isabelle and Isabellas around. One I know, now an adult, is Izzy, Bella or Belle. All 3 regularly used.

Isabella

Isabella

I met a baby Isobel Pearl recently, her parents alternate between calling her Isobel, Pearl, Isobel Pearl or just Izzy.

I think it's a beautiful combination of names imo, not what you were asking but I thought I'd share.

I have an Isabella and also a Sophia. The names are lovely together.

I love Isabella - I have one :)

That’s the issue! So many have one! Have teen girls and there is always at least one Isabel name in every friendship group. It’s that generations Sarah or Claire.