Bella....I love this but it is so popular! What to do....?

[SammieGrace]

Hi All,
I am wondering about the name Bella for a girl, I love Bella and I like the full name Isabella, but it is the number 1 name in the US right now and I don't want my kid to be the 5th Isabella in her class at school someday. However, I want to give her a proper full name so she can use it when/if she wants.

I will admit that I like twilight , but liked the name before that and really like that it means beautiful in italian. I have been thinking of other full names for the nn Bella and am having a hard time, here are some possibilities:

Bellamy/Bellamie: I like this bc it is different, still has the nn Bella and it means "beautiful friend" which I think is absolutely lovely, it is a surname, but not a common one. It happens to be the Surname of the lead singer of the band Muse, which I really like also. I am not sure if this name is too weird, or if I could sell my DH on it, or if it would be miss pronounced as "bay-la-me" instead of "Bella-me". I know it could go either way but I like the second pronunciation better so the nn Bella makes sense. Also have I have an irish sounding last name that ends in 2 'L's and I am not sure if that would be too many 'L's in the name then. Does that matter?

Arabella and Adabella: Sounds kind of harsh to me, don't know why.

Annabella: I am not sure about because I don't really like the name Annabelle, and that is what think of when I see it. I think of annabelle as the name of a clown, totally random, I know. Also looks kind of like 2 names shoved together.

Sabella: seems pretty but kind of looks like you just forgot the 'I' in Isabella, ya know?

as a little girl I was really set on the name Julianne, which i still really like but I would love to have a Bella. So do you guys have any thoughts or ideas for me? I could really use your help....!

 

[LoveChild]

I am naming Annabella if a girl

 

[RubyRainbows]

I have to say -- Arabella is my fave possibility! Such a gorgeous name! Does not seem "harsh" to me at all -- quite soft, flowy, pretty, & princess-y in my opinion! Plus a great way to have the nn Bella yet avoid the super-popular Isabella.

I don't like Bellamy/Bellamie -- i actually pronounced it differently in my head than you explained -- I kinda pronounced it like Bologna! (Like Bell-ahh-mee)

 

[Waiting2bMommy]

I love Bella too!
I think I would choose Arabella its beautiful.

 

[CedarWood]

I like Arabella and Bellamy (thought the pronounciation was the same a Ruby Rainbows did)
I like Sabella but with sooo many Isabellas - it sounds like the I was left off

 

[DarlingMe]

Mirabella
Clarabella
Tarabella
Farrahbella
found this theres 27 total I think it says! I really like Maribella.

https://www.thinkbabynames.com/ending/0/bella

 

[firstbabyOMG]

Out of the box, I hate Twilight - so I am so anti-Bella I can't see straight. However, not my business.

Isabella was in fact dreadfully popular even before the films/movies came out. But if you're set on the nickname (& I SO appreciate your giving her a full proper name to nick name from) I agree that Arabella is lovely, as is Annabelle (even though it's Belle, you can still call her Bella.)

I personally like Bellamy (pronounced Bella-me) & could never imagine pronouncing it differently, but I like the name because it's my dog's middle name. She is my beautiful friend.

I would definitely be concerned with the great number of Bellas she's likely to be in school with, and if you're dead set on it you can always make it a middle name & still call her Bella until she gets to school & wants to be called differently. I know plenty of people who go by their middle names until such a time as they choose to change.

 

[bonjo808]

Out of the box, I hate Twilight - so I am so anti-Bella I can't see straight. However, not my business.

Isabella was in fact dreadfully popular even before the films/movies came out. But if you're set on the nickname (& I SO appreciate your giving her a full proper name to nick name from) I agree that Arabella is lovely, as is Annabelle (even though it's Belle, you can still call her Bella.)

I personally like Bellamy (pronounced Bella-me) & could never imagine pronouncing it differently, but I like the name because it's my dog's middle name. She is my beautiful friend.

I would definitely be concerned with the great number of Bellas she's likely to be in school with, and if you're dead set on it you can always make it a middle name & still call her Bella until she gets to school & wants to be called differently. I know plenty of people who go by their middle names until such a time as they choose to change.

I love that your dog has a middle name

I do like the name Bellamy though, its cute and different but not totally wacky!

 

[Phantom]

How about something similar like Gabriella?

 

[SammieGrace]

hey guys,
thanks for the ideas/opinions! I think that Arabella and Annabella are starting to grow on me! Not sure about the pronunciation of Bellamy like bologna, because I definitely don't want that! I also like Adabella, though I am not sure if it is too unusual. Still love Bella and hoping for a girl. Has anyone used one of these Bella names or know someone who has one?? Thanks

 

[moomoo]

Why not just shorten to Belle? I have a friend called that!

 

[bumblebeetle]

I LOVE Bella!!! I want Isobelle or Annabelle, but i have a Jacob too, cliche - Jacob and Bella! haha yes I'm a Twilight fan xxxxx

 

[charliekitty]

we was goin to call our little girl Isabella, yeh i am a twilight fan but i didnt bother that others would think of that, the thing that changed my mind for me is that she might get called izzy (im so anti izzy, sorry if i have offened any one)

i love Maribella!! which some one else mentioned

xxx

 

[angelkisses]

Out of the box, I hate Twilight - so I am so anti-Bella I can't see straight. However, not my business.

Isabella was in fact dreadfully popular even before the films/movies came out. But if you're set on the nickname (& I SO appreciate your giving her a full proper name to nick name from) I agree that Arabella is lovely, as is Annabelle (even though it's Belle, you can still call her Bella.)

I personally like Bellamy (pronounced Bella-me) & could never imagine pronouncing it differently, but I like the name because it's my dog's middle name. She is my beautiful friend.

I would definitely be concerned with the great number of Bellas she's likely to be in school with, and if you're dead set on it you can always make it a middle name & still call her Bella until she gets to school & wants to be called differently. I know plenty of people who go by their middle names until such a time as they choose to change.

i know of 4 shitzu x poodle things called bella, isabella 2x rottis named bella i guess in oz before the twilight saga bella was a popular dog name

 

[Odd Socks]

we loved the name bella (from isabella), in spite of it being popular, we went with it because we liked it so much
xx

 

[Phantom]

There's also Bellatrix but then you risk getting into the Harry Potter stuff.

 

[Racheldigger]

Dorabella (beautiful gift)
Clarabella (beautiful light)

 

[SammieGrace]

Thanks for the suggestions, here are some more that are on my current list. Any thoughts on these ones?!

Bella Grace
Rosabella
Bella Rose
Annabella
Arabella
Elizabella
Bellamy

 

[Phantom]

I actually really like Elizabella. I've never heard that before.

 

[CedarWood]

Elizabella
Bellamy

I like these two the most - both very pretty and a bit different