Arabella
Say it: a-ra-BEL-a/æɹəˈbɛlə/
Girl8 letters4 syllables
#96
in Ireland (2025)
51
babies in 2025
#96
best rank (2025)
347
babies since 2004
Up 440
10-year rank change
Arabella through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51 | #96 |
| 2024 | 45 | #108 |
| 2023 | 41 | #113 |
| 2022 | 37 | #143 |
| 2021 | 32 | #153 |
| 2020 | 22 | #207 |
| 2019 | 24 | #203 |
| 2018 | 8 | #469 |
| 2017 | 11 | #368 |
| 2016 | 15 | #303 |
| 2015 | 7 | #536 |
| 2014 | 16 | #304 |
| 2013 | 8 | #496 |
| 2012 | 8 | #513 |
| 2011 | 4 | #796 |
| 2010 | 7 | #556 |
| 2009 | 4 | #742 |
| 2007 | 3 | #841 |
| 2004 | 4 | #576 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Arabella mean?
Uncertain
Used in Scotland since the 1500s, perhaps from Latin orabilis or a form of Annabel.
Say it right
araBELa
The story of Arabella
The origin of Arabella is uncertain. It has been used in Scotland since the sixteenth century, and has been explained as coming from the Latin orabilis, “yielding to prayer”, or as a variant of Annabel. Neither idea is proven. The likeness to the Latin bella, “beautiful”, may be only a matter of sound.
The name has a long history in English literature. One of the best-known bearers in fiction is Arabella Donn, who marries the hero of Thomas Hardy’s novel Jude the Obscure. Like Isabella and Annabel, it is often shortened to Bella.
In Ireland Arabella was very rare until the late 2010s. It has risen quickly since, and it reached the top 100 for the first time in 2025, at number 96, with 51 girls. It has done a little better in Northern Ireland, where its best place was number 84 in 2020.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Arabella (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Arabella (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Bella
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Arabella | 51 | 347 |
In Northern Ireland
#87 in 2025 with 24 babies. Best rank #84 (2020); 178 babies since 2004.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.