Hey everyone!
[name_m]Just[/name_m] wondering which name is preferred: [name_f]Ella[/name_f] or [name_f]Arabella[/name_f]?
What kind of person do you imagine each to be?
I prefer [name_f]Ella[/name_f]. I’m not a fan of [name_f]Arabella[/name_f].
I do like the idea of a longer [name_f]Ella[/name_f] name but [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] is a bit too frilly for me and is quite the opposite of what I value about [name_f]Ella[/name_f], which is that it’s short, to-the-point, with a dash of quirk and a lot of class.
I would, however, add a longer middle name to [name_f]Ella[/name_f] or/and something with substance as [name_f]Ella[/name_f] can easily come off as too cutes-y (for me, anyway), something along the lines of [name_f]Ella[/name_f] [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f] [name_f]Hermione[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f] [name_f]Juliet[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f] [name_f]Maude[/name_f], etc., while [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] works well with a short and sweet middle name.
[name_f]Arabella[/name_f], it’s so gorgeous and one of the only really frilly names I’d use. [name_f]Ella[/name_f] is really sweet too though.
I like both! If you can’t choose, why not use [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] with the possibility of [name_f]Ella[/name_f] as a nn?
Both are great, but [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] is too gorgeous to say no to! Plus, [name_f]Ella[/name_f] is built right in. You could call her both!
I picture an [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] as being strikingly beautiful, with dark hair and eyes. She would be extremely intelligent with a slight air of mystery about her, kind to everyone, and well-liked, but not very talkative. Basically a mysterious beauty that everyone loves. 
Now [name_f]Ella[/name_f], on the other hand, I can’t help but picture almost the complete opposite. I can see [name_f]Ella[/name_f] on an adorable bubbly blonde girl who likes to join lots of school clubs/activities and is extroverted. Again, very friendly, and she is talkative. She is very smart, girly, and a little rebellious.
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] that helps! Sorry if it’s too much, I get carried away with these descriptions. Honestly, these are just the first things that come to mind. When I really think about it, I can see [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] or [name_f]Ella[/name_f] on whoever. [name_f]Every[/name_f] girl makes her name fit somehow (provided they don’t hate it lol).
I prefer [name_f]Ella[/name_f], but I agree that if you like both, you could always use [name_f]Ella[/name_f] as a nickname for [name_f]Arabella[/name_f].
Definitely [name_f]Ella[/name_f] for me! Although if you can’t choose, you could go with @kimlz’s suggestion of [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] nn [name_f]Ella[/name_f]. I think of [name_f]Ella[/name_f] as a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl who is very elegant, graceful and tactful.
I prefer [name_f]Arabella[/name_f]. To me it’s not just ‘frilly’ but holds a sense of magic, mystery and darkness, maybe because the 2 times I’ve heard it has been on characters in magic based settings. I think it’s a beautiful name that evokes a lot of whimsical imagery. [name_f]Ella[/name_f] is nice enough, and definitely has lots of energy and brightness behind it, but it doesn’t draw me in like [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] does.
I like [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] and then [name_f]Ella[/name_f] as a nickname. [name_f]Ella[/name_f] is cute and could work as a full name however I associate it as a nickname for a longer name.
I much prefer [name_f]Ella[/name_f]; [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] has always seemed over the top to me.
[name_f]Arabella[/name_f] is just beautiful. It was my top choice for a girl since I was little, but unfortunately my married surname is [name_u]Bell[/name_u] so it’s unusable for me.
I am usually more drawn towards longer names with pretty nicknames so [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] with the nickname [name_f]Ella[/name_f] seems perfect.
[name_f]Arabella[/name_f]. If my niece wasn’t [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] it’d be my #1 name.
I’ve always liked the name [name_f]Ella[/name_f] a lot. I used to think [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] was nice…but my daughter was in kindergarten last year and in a class of 20 students there were THREE [name_f]Arabella[/name_f]'s. They all went by [name_f]Bella[/name_f]. If you combine the [name_f]Arabella[/name_f]'s with the popular [name_f]Isabella[/name_f]'s and [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]'s and [name_f]Belle[/name_f]'s and [name_f]Bella[/name_f]'s…well, that’s a lot! I prefer [name_f]Ella[/name_f] 