I see a lot of people calling it boring and expected, but I can’t help but get a warm feeling and smile when I say and hear the name. I love it a lot. It was the first name I truly loved when I was around 12 years old, but seeing people bash it for being too popular has made me put it on the back burner. However, where I live the name isn’t popular at all. Sure, I have two cousins called [name_f]Isabel[/name_f] and [name_f]Isobel[/name_f], but I do not know ANYONE called [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] or know anyone who knows anyone called it. [name_f]Isabel[/name_f], and all its spelling variants, is the only name that is popular here, not [name_f]Isabella[/name_f]. I have sieved through numerous top lists in [name_f]England[/name_f] and the town where I live and surrounding areas, and [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] is on there but yet I do not know of anyone called it. I am in the public every single day and I have never heard a parent call their little [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], or anything like that.
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t get me wrong, popularity doesn’t bother me at all, but I don’t want people to be like “is that it?” if I ever introduced a daughter as [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] nicknamed [name_f]Bella[/name_f]. I guess those who have this opinion are American as I see it’s ridiculously popular there, so can someone who isn’t surrounded by loads of Isabellas please reassure me that [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] isn’t as bad as some make it out to be? This is truly the only name that makes me happy to say, write and hear.
The combo I first had five or so years ago was [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f], but I know this is expected and so I would be willing to put a less expected middle name… Despite it being a family name (I’m a ___ [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and my great grandmother is [name_f]Rosa[/name_f], where my middle name is from).
[name_m]Even[/name_m] though I’m in the US and often hear [name_f]Isabella[/name_f]/[name_f]Isabel[/name_f]/[name_f]Bella[/name_f], I still think it’s a beautiful name. The same goes for [name_f]Sophia[/name_f], [name_f]Ava[/name_f], and [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]. They’re popular because they’re gorgeous! I kind of hate that [name_f]Isabella[/name_f]/[name_f]Bella[/name_f] is linked to Twilight, but that’s a personal hatred of mine. lol If it’s not that popular where you are, then I wouldn’t worry about it. It sounds like you truly do love it. You should use it.
I’m English too, and there really aren’t that many, especially with the nickname [name_f]Bella[/name_f]. All the Isabellas/Isobels etc. I know go by [name_u]Izzy[/name_u]/[name_u]Issy[/name_u]. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t worry - it’s a lovely name with a beautiful sound!
That feeling you get when you say / think the name? That’s exactly the sign you need. Some people never get that feeling about a name! You have absolutely no reason to take it off your list. It’s a classic, beautiful name.
I really love [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] too. I like [name_f]Isabel[/name_f] / [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] / [name_f]Mirabel[/name_f] / [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] / [name_f]Isadora[/name_f] as well but I think I still prefer [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], from the top of my head it’s like #30 where I live so I wouldn’t really mind. I’m trying it as a middle in some combos though right now because I sometimes feel it’s just a bit “too long” for me. [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] is really pretty too, it’s no wonder both names are so popular.
Use what you love! I love [name_m]Julian[/name_m] and he keeps persisting on climbing the popularity scale. [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] is beautiful and I understand the attraction
Thank you all. I never let the name slip because it was the only one who gave me that ‘feeling’ I searched for months to find in other, less popular names but couldn’t find. I also tried to fool myself to like [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] too (I love the song by Arctic Monkeys so it helped), but I never could fall for it like I fell for [name_f]Isabella[/name_f].
I think if it makes you happy, then that is all that matters. It is an extremely popular name where I live, but it’s popular for a reason. It’s a really pretty name, and there are so many nicknames and variations, that I’m sure she’ll be fine. I also love the idea of combining [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] and [name_f]Rose[/name_f]…maybe Bellarose or [name_f]Rosabelle[/name_f]? I’m also a fan of [name_f]Abella[/name_f], [name_f]Clarabella[/name_f], or [name_f]Sabella[/name_f].
But if it’s the name you love, it’s the name you love. You’re the one that is going to be singing her to sleep at night.
I’m American and I do know a couple [name_f]Isabella[/name_f]'s. There are two in my grade and only one in the grade above me. That’s not that overused compared to [name_f]Emily[/name_f] which there are five of those in my grade alone and 6 in the grade below me. (Same with [name_f]Hailey[/name_f]). It’s a wonderful name and I don’t find it plain at all! Definitely do not let those opinions ruin the name for you!!
[name_f]Isabella[/name_f] is a beautiful name, and I do love it despite its popularity, so if it’s not as popular where you live as it is here, I would totally say go for it. As for middle names, you could go with [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] instead if you don’t want it to be so expected.
I have met several Isabellas and, less so, Isabelles (or whichever spelling), most under the age of 8. I think it’s popular for good reason and actually really love all the super popular names (adore [name_f]Ava[/name_f] and only just recently met one 5 year old by the name). I think it’s wonderful to hear such pretty names. Better than some of the popular names in the past. And as long as the name has spark for you, it doesn’t need to have spark for everyone…and that’s just the way it goes with names anyway.
I’m from the US, so I do hear lots of Isabellas/Bellas (of many spellings), but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a pretty name. I wouldn’t be like “ugh, that’s boring.” I’d probably say that if it was, say, “my baby is named Norma.” I love the name Isabel myself, so I totally get the appeal and everything (I’ve only met one Isabelle). So, to answer your question, I think Isabella is perfect for you. It may not be my favorite name, but I wouldn’t think any less of you or think that you were unoriginal because you chose Isabella. I have Emma on my list which is super common in the US, but what really matters is that I love the name, which is what I get the feeling from you.
If it bothers you, choose a really spunky middle, so that it won’t be another Isabella Rose or Isabella Grace (not that those aren’t beautiful they’re just super common). I see that you like Isabella Rose, and that’s totally cool too, it has family significance to you (which is more than most people can say). But if you want to be a bit different, try a Rose variant, like Isabella Roseline, Isabella Rosalind, Isabella Penrose, Isabella Rosamund.
I totally understand about the first love names. One of my most favorite girls names is Zoe, which I have loved for years since it’s my grandmother’s name, and I wouldn’t care if it was number one, I’d still use it because it means something to me. Those first loves are always so hard to let go.
This is all that should matter. That feeling you get when you’ve found the doesn’t happen to everyone, but when it does happen, you really should listen to it. [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] is a beautiful name, and if you’re not afraid of popularity, then go for it. Some people will think just ‘meh’, but who really cares about them? As long as you’re happy, you find it beautiful and you smile whenever you think about it, then that’s all that matters.
To answer the actual questions:
I’m from Australia, so I can’t give you any opinions about how popular it really is, sorry.
With the middle name, if you want to freshen it up and make it less “is that it” to those few people, then chuck in a more unique name. You could try and keep [name_f]Rose[/name_f] in there, since that’s a really cute honour name. [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f], [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] [name_f]Roselle[/name_f], [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_f]Rosette[/name_f], [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] [name_f]Rosanne[/name_f], [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f]…?
Thank you all so much! It was really hard to try and ‘forget’ about it and I was honestly devastated when my sister said she had it as a name for my now nephew (if [name_u]Noah[/name_u] was a girl, he would have been [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] or [name_f]Scarlett[/name_f]). I hope I can get there before her and secure it as I’ll be gutted if she uses it… She has already used my #1 boy name, lol!
[name_f]Isabella[/name_f] has taken her rightful place as #1 for a final time and I doubt she’ll ever move positions, so once again thanks guys.
Oops, accidentally closed the thread!
Another thanks for the combos that people have been suggesting about [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. I really don’t like any as much as I love [name_f]Rose[/name_f], which sucks, but I think [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] is very nice (albeit Italian sounding), and so is [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_f]Rosanne[/name_f]. I have a few other honour names that could go there ([name_f]Cynthia[/name_f], [name_f]Valentina[/name_f]/[name_f]Celestina[/name_f]/[name_f]Augustina[/name_f], [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] and [name_f]Kate[/name_f]/[name_f]Katerina[/name_f]/[name_f]Kathleen[/name_f] to name a few). Thoughts?
I live in the US and work in a daycare. I have a niece named [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] who is just turning one, but at the daycare there is only ONE [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] out of 150+ kids. It is a pretty name.
While I prefer [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f], I do love [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], too, and remember being wowed by it when I first heard (or really, first realized it, I suppose) back in 2005. By then it was already quite popular here, but even with [name_f]Isabella[/name_f]'s rampant popularity here in the states, I’ve come across fewer than I can count on one hand. I know one [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] personally (and her family calls her [name_u]Izzy[/name_u]/Izza, not [name_f]Bella[/name_f]). Which is probably why I’m so okay with using [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]–while popularity is still popularity, it’s not nearly as bad as it once was, and I have no qualms with how popular [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] is. I am really not sure how it is in [name_f]England[/name_f], but I know here, it averages out to about one of the top name on each list for each grade per school district. That’s not too bad at all, imo. I would love to meet an [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] still, and if you want to keep [name_f]Rose[/name_f] but maybe switch it up, I think [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] would be breathtakingly gorgeous.
[name_f]Isabella[/name_f] is a beautiful name! I do know a baby with this name and know that it’s pretty popular where I live, but if you love it and it’s not that popular where you are, I say go for it!
If you love it, use it. But you don’t know anyone currently with it because people are naming their babies [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], now. your [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] will be one of many.
Although Twilight personally ruined the name [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] for me, it is still classic and charming. [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] is a name that will carry well into adulthood. If you feel [name_f]Bella[/name_f] is to common you can go with [name_u]Izzy[/name_u].
