Thoughts on Ivy, Isobelle, Isobella and Belle for our baby girl

[Arielunderthesea]

Just wanting some input into some baby girl names please.

We were thinking of Ivy, Isobelle, Isobella. I really like Belle and my husband also likes Matilda (which I'm not too keen on)
I love Isobella but not keen on Izzy as a nickname. Just a little stuck at the moment.

I dont know why but I think it looks better spelt either

Isabelle/ Isabella
Or
Isobel

I’d avoid all Isobel names they have been extremely popular for years now so drained of any charm. She will be another Izzy S or whatever your surname is. Same with Eve. They are the Claire and Sarah of this generation

Thank you! Oh my goodness I am so out of touch with names! I didn't even think the name was that popular 😕 back to the drawing board with this one i think...

I've not seen them being spelt this way actually. Thank you :)

Agree with a PP about the spellings. Isabella is my favourite spelling.
My son is 10 and has 6 variations of Isabelle/Isabelle/Bella in his year. They all change their preferred nicknames too so I have no idea who is being referred to. Personally I would avoid this name, unless you really love it.

If you really like Bella then Arabella is a good option or I know a lovely Rosabella, really suits her.

This.
Whatever the name is you need to spell them correctly!

For a similar choice I love Annabelle, so many different nickname choices.

Ivy and Isobel are lovely.

I have always thought Isobel was super cute! Love all spelling variations of it but definitely think Isabella is the most used! And I love nn Belle even as a standalone name. I would definitely use Belle myself.
Agree with you on Matilda.
xx

Isobel with Belle as a nickname

I think you have to spell it either Isobel or Isabel (I prefer Isobel) or Isabella

I think Isabella/Belle is quite popular but Isobel not so much
They’re pretty names anyway so if you like them does it matter

Ivy is ok but I think it will date, whereas Isobel is more of a classic name.
Ivy is not exactly a pretty plant either

I know a little girl named Annabella, such a cute name!

It’s like someone passed a law in 2008 that every girl is to be named a variant of Isabel or Eve 🙈. Mine older teens now and both have numerous friends with these names. Gets very confusing.

Ivy is lovely.

Very popular girls names. She’ll be just another Ivy and another Isabella. I don’t actually like Ivy at all. It also just rolls in the endless sea of Evies and Ava’s too.

Yes it's Isobel or Isabelle/bella never isobelle/bella

Isobel or however you choose to spell it, personally I think with this one it doesn't matter, is a beautiful name, it's so lovely, but it had been immensely popular for a good few yeas, perhaps it's fading now but there are still countless Isobels/Isabellas/Izzys and Belles running about the place.

I know an Anabelle, if you want 'Belle' or you could just call her Belle/Bella.

I find Ivy a very ugly name, but that's just my opinion, honey made from bees using Ivy is revolting!

I really like Matilda, the couple I know of get called Tilly.

How about Imogen, I know one about 12 years old who gets called Immy.
Mabel? Molly? Beth?

I agree with others, I’ve never seen this spelling you propose.

There are 3 generally used spellings of:
Isabel
Isobel
Isabelle

(I prefer 1 and 2)

and then Isabella - which I’ve never seen spelt a different way.

They are nice names but very 2010s/ 2020s. I’m not sure this wholly matters, but you should be aware. I think if I met an “Isobelle” my reaction would just be to wonder if you were trying to use an unusual spelling on purpose though.

Or Annabel. Less frillier. Used to be the usual way to spell the name but taken over by Annabelle is recent years.

There’s also Arabella, which is having a moment. I can never actually decide if I like the name Arabella or not. Often goes along with a sister called Ottilie.

Lots of names you can use with the “belle” name, although most of them are quite popular at the moment.

Ivy - very popular and too much like Evie, Ava, Isla etc
Isobelle - overly frilly spelling of Isobel
Isobella - bad spelling of the overused Isabella
Belle - bell end

I also put Matilda in the same category of ‘popular girls’ name. It was very popular when I had my DS, and it felt like all girls were Matilda, Sienna, Florence or Imogen.

They’re all just popular girls names you find in any school, there’s nothing unusual about them. Which you know, is fine.

There are many “proper” girls names that are weirdly under used. If it was me would think of Tessa/ Miranda / Susannah / Mary / Honor. So refreshing in a sea of Isabel/Eve/Olivias etc which are over used and boring now.

@Arielunderthesea , look at darkgreener (Baby name explorer). It shows the popularity of a name in England & Wales since 1996.
Isabella, Isabelle, Isabel and Isobel are all treated as separate names on it.

Isabella has been very popular for ages - a top 20 name for about 20 years.

Thank you all for your advice and opinions. It's definitely made me rethink the whole name and the spelling etc. I think I'll be starting afresh with these girl names. It was so much easier picking for my son! I find girl names so much difficult to choose.

If you want a list of all the names with more than 3 of them registered in 2024, you can download it from the ONS site.
There are 7646 of them from Aaliyah to Zyrah.

All of those names are very very popular. Matilda is the least popular for babies now but was popular 15 years ago. Ivy is the most popular today but there will be loads of isobellas etc in the school as been popular for about ten years and still going.