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Original poster

My husband does not agree with my name choice spelling - what shall I do?

62 replies

Gemy · 03/11/2007 20:30

I am having a baby girl and we decided on the name Isabelle a while ago. Or rather, I decided on Isabelle, my husband decided on Isobel. Only recently - when a friend of ours asked which spelling we were using - have we discovered that we have a problem!

We are both digging our heals in, though I have to say, husband is not looking like he is going to back down on this one. He says he'd rather we choose another name. But I don't want to!!

So, the baby is due at Christmas. What do you think I should do? Relent and have the spelling 'Isobel'/dig MY heals in and see where it gets me/agree to pick another name. (I don't dislike the name Isobel, I just haven't got used to it yet)

Any opinions please!

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NAB3sparklesandflashes · 03/11/2007 21:21

Isobel isn't great imho.

Isabelle is better and then Isabel if you really want to compromise.

NAB3sparklesandflashes · 03/11/2007 21:23

Do you want it pronounced Is A bel or Is O bel?

LyraSilverSparklers · 03/11/2007 21:38

Isobel looks rather old-fashioned to me. I've only ever met Isabels and Isabelles. Those are much prettier spelling imho.

Sarahjct · 03/11/2007 23:34

Isobel is much nicer, with Isabel as runner up - all those 'll's and 'e's on the end makes it look unecessarily fussy and fancy-pants IMHO. I'd save the fussiness for Isabella.

edam · 03/11/2007 23:41

Glad dh appreciated my fango argument, Gemy.

(I'm with Sarah, Isabelle looks a bit 'trying too hard' to me, but hey, I'm not pushing your baby out either so you can safely ignore me...)

Sarahjct · 03/11/2007 23:46

LOL edam, I meant to add that on the end as well - that's the argument I'm using with DH. Whoever owns the foo-foo calls the tune!

edam · 03/11/2007 23:51

Unlike the OP's dh we have both pushed babies out of our fanjos, though, so maybe we get, I dunno, 15 per cent of the vote each? Leaving 60 per cent for Gemy and a massive ten per cent for her poor dh...

tyaca · 04/11/2007 01:22

ooooh, i'm going to be controversial and suggest taking this on the chin and letting him have it

he's met you half way, you get to be the bigger person (one of you will have to back down at some point), and think of the banked brownie points....

lovely name btw, and good luck!

LaDiDaDi · 04/11/2007 01:30

Dd's middle name is Isobel. Tbh I just wish that I had got Isobel as her first name regardless of spelling but dp wasn't having it as a first name.

Piratechnic · 04/11/2007 01:36

I like the name alot, and in both spellings, but thee are just so many of them in my dd's school.

??

lemonaidtreasonandplot · 04/11/2007 07:19

I would go with the compromise solution of Isabel. Partly because personally I much prefer it to Isabelle (extra "le" just looks unnecessary and frou-frouish to me) but also it's good that the two of you have managed to reach a compromise and if you're both happy with Isabel then it seems silly to override that to go with a spelling that one of you is far less happy with.

Mintpurple · 04/11/2007 08:08

I like Isabelle myself.

If you really want to get your own way, I suggest you wait until you are in 2nd stage and pushing and tell him what you want!

He will be so much in awe of what you are doing he will agree to anything! Guaranteed!

ChocolateHobnob · 04/11/2007 09:06

I like Isabel, and I think it's a good compromise. Freya and Isabel go well together for sisters!

Original poster
Gemy · 04/11/2007 20:15

LOL mintpurple

Amazingly enough Edam, I did not think of the excellent fanjo argument before you mentioned it so thx

A huge thankyou for all your replies, and I was all for Isabelle but now I can see the 'le' doesn't make the name sound any different from Isabel and I can do without it. I know what you mean about it being somehow prettier than Isobel.

It's settled then and we couldn't have done it without all you wonderful mumsnetters who contributed..........xxx

OP posts:
MeltingandScreamingIcarus · 04/11/2007 20:31

My mum is an Isobel. She was in the last era of Isobel (we are scottish btw) Isabel, Ishbel Isabellas.

My dd1 was Isabella as middle name (my granny's name) I think the a spelling is much nicer.

pointydog · 04/11/2007 20:32

Isabel good compromise. As bozza said, I believe Isobel is the Scottish spelling.

I do not agree with the 'I gave birth so I'm choosing the name' argument. Wouldn't want to have a daughter with a name I didn't like just for biological reasons.

pointydog · 04/11/2007 20:33

yes, isabella very common Scottish name in bygone days. That's why there are so many Isas.

Ishbel - lol. Not heard that for a while

janeite · 04/11/2007 20:39

I have an Isobel. Tbh no other spelling even occurred to us; I'm surprised so many people seem not to like it.

I also think your dh is being quite reasonable and that you should wait and see how you both feel once she's born. She might look like something else entirely!

Original poster
Gemy · 04/11/2007 20:41

pointydog this is only between 1 spelling or the other. I would not expect to pick the name entirely on my own just because I'm the one giving birth and I'm sure the others just meant that I should have the final say on the spelling of the pre-agreed name.

OP posts:
FlameFromBonfire · 04/11/2007 20:43

I liked Isobel as a name (that spelling).

DH chose the spelling for DD's name (one with several versions) - he got to choose though because he is dyslexic and I wanted whichever spelling he was happiest with writing iyswim.

I agree with going with a variant spelling.

MeltingandScreamingIcarus · 04/11/2007 20:44

Isa - I must admit that is why I have it as a middle name. Makes me think of Still Game.

Heated · 04/11/2007 20:49

Given the northern (Norse) roots of Freya, I think the northern (celtic) spelling of Isobel would go together beautifully. To my mind, Isobel is chic, Isabel is the standard spelling and, agree with pp, that Isabelle (unless you are French) looks a bit frou-frou but it jmo.

But at least you can agree on a name

Original poster
Gemy · 04/11/2007 20:54

I actually like Isobel too - I think it was more my surprise that I always had it down as Isabelle and didn't imagine it spelt any other way.

Now though, I do realise the 'le' makes no difference and am happy with either Isobel or Isabel (I think Isobel may be easier to spell as you can tell there's an "o" when you say the name and I don't think I've ever seen the name isobelle)

Yes we have agreed on the name which was no easy task let me tell you! But of course, there is always the chance when she's born I look at her and see her as a different name (or, with scans these days being only 96% accurate for confirming sex of baby, end up having a boy )

OP posts:
mistressmiggins · 04/11/2007 20:56

my dd is Isabel
people usually spell it Isobel unless I point it out

I thought Isabelle was more French which is why we opted for one 'l'
I just preferred Isabel rather than Isobel.

my DS (5) pronouces it Isibel which is quite sweet

MaryAnnSinglebang · 04/11/2007 20:57

how about Ishbel ?
(haven't read all of thread so apologies if mentioned before)
Isabel is the nicest spelling of the name - also liike Isabella