girl's name
Arabella
a-ra-BEL-la
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 43,086
the United States
#213
2025 births
Arabella is a girl's name whose origin is disputed. It is usually read as "yielding to prayer," from the Latin orabilis, but many scholars treat it instead as a medieval Scottish reshaping of Annabella, and the record does not settle it.
- Arabella is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2014, when 1,914 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 385 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1881.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Arabella over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Arabella is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 48 |
| 1890s | 62 |
| 1900s | 85 |
| 1910s | 167 |
| 1920s | 166 |
| 1930s | 95 |
| 1940s | 62 |
| 1950s | 72 |
| 1960s | 69 |
| 1970s | 52 |
| 1980s | 45 |
| 1990s | 305 |
| 2000s | 3,108 |
| 2010s | 15,120 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 8,501 |
What Arabella means
Arabella is most often given as yielding to prayer, or answerable to prayer, from the Latin orabilis. The competing account gives it no independent meaning at all, treating it as a variant spelling of Annabella that acquired a Latin explanation later.
Where Arabella comes from
Arabella first appears in Scotland in the twelfth century, in the form Arabel, and the two explanations have coexisted ever since. The Latin reading takes orabilis, from orare, to pray, giving a sense of one who can be entreated. The competing account notes that the earliest bearers are recorded interchangeably as Arabel and Annabel, which suggests the name is a Scottish reworking of Annabella rather than a Latin coinage — and that orabilis was attached afterwards to explain a name that already existed. Neither reading can be ruled out, and reference works differ on which to lead with.
Arabella in use
Our data shows Arabella at 22 in England and Wales against 213 in the United States, peaking in 2014 and still rising. It first appears in our records in 1881. The name belongs to the British revival of long, ornate Victorian names alongside Ottilie, Clementine and Seraphina.
How popular is Arabella?
In 2025, Arabella was given to 1,368 babies in England and Wales, ranking #22 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Arabella is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Arabella
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Arabella also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Arabella over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
5 nicknames for Arabella
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Arabella in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Arabella
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Arabella — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Arabella
What does the name Arabella mean?
Most often "yielding to prayer," from the Latin orabilis — though it may instead be a Scottish reshaping of Annabella with no separate meaning.
Is Arabella the same name as Annabella?
Possibly. The earliest Scottish records use Arabel and Annabel interchangeably, which is the main evidence for the two being one name.
Is Arabella a British name?
It first appears in twelfth-century Scotland, and our data places it at 22 in England and Wales against 213 in the United States.
How popular is the name Arabella?
In 2025, Arabella was given to 1,368 babies in England and Wales, ranking #22 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Arabella a girl's or a boy's name?
Arabella is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Arabella?
Arabella has 4 syllables.
When was Arabella most popular?
Arabella peaked in 2014, when 1,914 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Arabella?
Arabella is usually shortened to Bella, Bell, Ara, Belle and Ella.
Is Arabella a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Arabella currently ranks #22 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.