Annabel / Anabella in The US

I would like the opinion of Americans only on the names [name]Annabel[/name] and [name]Anabella[/name]. I believe they are not as commonly seen here as they are in The UK?

Boring and stuffy?
Classy and pretty?
Are [name]Bel[/name]/[name]Bella[/name] endings overused?

[name]Annabelle[/name] is number 100 for 2012 on the SSA list (a little of 3,000 girls in the US named that) so it’s not super popular-- but not unheard of either. On the other hand, [name]Isabella[/name] is number 3 with almost 19,000 girls named last year. Adding all the -bel/belle names together, yeah, they’re pretty common. I know a couple of under 5 years old Annabels-- most of the young Isabelles I know are more in the 5-10 year old range. I like [name]Annabel[/name]-- pretty and very feminine. [name]Arabella[/name] has the same feel to me though and it’s much less common. So if you are concerned about that, I’d use it instead. [name]Anneliese[/name]/[name]Annelise[/name] is another name that’s similar but not used as much.

They’re actually quite common- [name]Annabelle[/name] ranks #100, [name]Anabelle[/name] #485, [name]Annabel[/name] #519, [name]Anabella[/name] #586, [name]Annabella[/name] #307, and there are several other variants in the top 1000.
I still love both [name]Annabel[/name] and [name]Annabella[/name], and the variety of nickname options means that each [name]Annabel[/name] can choose her own identity.

I’m around a lot of kids and have yet to meet one named either of those names. I think [name]Annabel[/name] is classy and pretty but also a little flowery. I find [name]Annabella[/name] to be a little too much for me. That being said, [name]Annabel[/name] is one of the top contenders for my soon to be born daughter. I think the name is pretty and really like the nickname potential. I am a bit concerned about the [name]Belle[/name] ending. I do not want a [name]Belle[/name] or [name]Bella[/name] nickname, as I feel those are way overused here. But overall, the full name [name]Annabel[/name] has a positive connotation for me and most of the people I mention it to.