Arabella
Arabella was the 213th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,423 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 156th; the most babies were born in 2014 (1,914). Over the last ten years it has moved down 19 places. More babies were named Arabella in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Scottish, Latin
Say it air-uh-BEL-uh /ˌɛrəˈbɛlə/
- Rank in 2025
- #213 girls, down 11 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,423girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20141,914 babies
- Total since 1880
- 27,957babies recorded
What does the name Arabella mean?
Arabella is an old Scottish name whose origin is uncertain. Wiktionary says it has been used in Scotland since the 16th century and may come from Latin orabilis, 'yielding to prayer', or be a variant of Annabel. Wikipedia gives similar uncertainty, mentioning Greek, Latin or Celtic possibilities and its first attested use in medieval Scotland. Bella and Ella are its short forms.
ōrābilis (Latin, “yielding to prayer (one proposal)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Origin uncertain; Latin orabilis or a variant of Annabel are proposals.
Related names: Bella, Annabel, Arabelle, Ella.
See also: Scottish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Arabella', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Arabella (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Arabella
The usual nicknames for Arabella are Bella, Belle and Ara. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Arabella in the last five years, 191 were named Bella, against 529 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bella · also for Isabella, Isabelle, Annabelle | Traditional | #136 | 13,458 |
| Belle · also for Isabella, Isabelle, Annabelle | Traditional | #1,013 | 1,267 |
| Ara | Modern | #3,255 | 304 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Arabellas go by each one.
Arabella popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #213 | 1,423 |
| 2020 | #202 | 1,439 |
| 2010 | #383 | 834 |
| 2000 | #1,871 | 91 |
| 1990 | #6,900 | 12 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | #8,049 | 5 |
| 1960 | #5,738 | 6 |
| 1950 | #4,760 | 6 |
| 1940 | #3,883 | 6 |
| 1930 | #3,360 | 8 |
| 1920 | #1,820 | 22 |
| 1910 | #1,424 | 11 |
| 1900 | #1,577 | 7 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Arabella, counting every spelling?
Arabella is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #236 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #213 for Arabella on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,443 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabella | 1,423 | #213 | 7,062 |
| Arabela | 12 | #8,414 | 44 |
| Arrabella | 8 | #11,047 | 33 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Arabella?
1,423 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Arabella (0.39 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Arabella born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Arabella.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Arabella?
About 27,100 people born in the US named Arabella are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 5 and 13. That makes Arabella a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Arabella by state
How common Arabella was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (3.3×), Hawaii (2.9×), New Mexico (2.6×), Nevada (2.4×), Maine (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in North Dakota, Massachusetts, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Arabella: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Arabella, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Arabella · Sibling names for Arabella
Questions about the name Arabella
What does Arabella mean?
The origin of Arabella is uncertain: Origin uncertain; Latin orabilis or a variant of Annabel are proposals.
How popular is the name Arabella?
Arabella was the 213th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,423 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 156th; the most babies were born in 2014 (1,914). Over the last ten years it has moved down 19 places. More babies were named Arabella in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Arabella a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Arabella in the US.
Where is Arabella most popular?
In 2021–2025, Arabella was most common in West Virginia (2.86 per 1,000 girls), followed by Hawaii and New Mexico.