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Isabelle. It just looks more appealing and prettier than Isabel to me. Isabel is better than Isobel though, I’ll give it that.

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Also when I see the name I literally think “Is a bell” but when I see Isabelle I think “Is a beautiful”. Which is a little better.

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I would gladly use the name Isabelle if I didn’t have a family member named Isabelle May. I think it’s a very beautiful name. I would use Isabelle Octavia, Isabelle Luna, or maybe Isabelle Helena.

Not too common, lovely name Isabelle

I prefer Isabel, it’s upright and elegant in a no nonsense kind of way. If I were to use it irl I would have a hard time choosing between Isobel and Isabel, though Isobel might edge it out because it feels very Edwardian to me and I like that. I know you didn’t ask about Isobel but I think it’s relevant to discuss! Isabelle is more contemporary and frilly, I still like it, but not quite as much.

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I’m starting to care less about name popularity as I get closer to having children, so I don’t really know if it is too common. I think Isabella might be a smidge too common, but not Isabel(le).

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The order of my preference (including the variants you didn’t ask about haha):
Isobel
Isabel
Isabelle
Isabella

Isabel for sure. Such a beautiful name. An all time favourite if mine. :)

Isabel

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Isabelle is too frilly. Isabel would be older and more sensible, Isabelle would be a pretty, but prissy teenager.

I love the names Isabel, Isobel, Isabella, and so on.
I think it is getting too common. Once it's in the top 25 it doesn't have the same impact.
Anyway, Isabelle with the extra L and E is more feminine. I prefer the Isabel spelling.

I love the names Isabel, Isobel, Isabella, and so on.
I think it is getting too common. Once it's in the top 25 it doesn't have the same impact.
Anyway, Isabelle with the extra L and E is more feminine. I prefer the Isabel spelling.

Neither is common (yet?) where I live. I far prefer Isabel; Isabelle is fine in French, but in English where it sounds exactly like the neater and tidier Isabel, there seems to be no point in adding on a frill. Images ... Isabel is energetic and outdoorsy, but Isabelle is more like those tedious Victorian heroines who lie limply on a couch while the world revolves around them.

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Et moi, I would use Isobel!

In most cases, I prefer -el to -elle names, because they're much less frilly. So I definitely prefer Isabel of the two, it's far more practical.

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As it stands, however... even if Isabel isn't terribly common right now, it's still too close to Isabella to not feel just a little bit tired.

Isabelle is way to girly in my opinion. Isabel is okay, but I like the spelling Isobel the best. More vintage.

Isabel seems more medieval-ish style to me. Isabelle for an English speaker seems 'prettied up.' Like the BELLE part is being emphasized, even though it is not. In English I don't need the -le on the end ... so what's it doing there ... it's just reminding me of the French word "belle" (beautiful), and the English word "belle" too, which has nothing to do with Isabel, and so it's slightly irritating to me.
I picture Isabel as being more ... tidy, classic, practical, smart ... it's like Emily or Lillian.
I'm picturing Isabelle as more sunny and modern/young, it's more of a 'girly' or 'fancy' or French style, like Amelia / Amelie or Lili.

This message was edited 9/3/2021, 6:00 PM

Isabel