Given name
Arabella
“an answered prayer; beautiful altar”
Arabella is used as a given name. One Latin interpretation is “an answered prayer; beautiful altar.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “an answered prayer; beautiful altar.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Latin, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Arabella through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 27,957
- 0 boys · 27,957 girls
- Most popular year
- 2014
- 1,914 babies
- 2025
- 1,423
- #213 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,423 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 213 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 15.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,914 in 2014. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (197). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 16,362 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Arabella’s family of names
In English usage, Arabella has a diminutive in Bella. In English usage, Arabella has a related form in Annabel. Arabella has a related form in Arabelle.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Arabella has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
4 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Arabella
- Arabella StantonEnglish actress (born 2014)
- Arabella ChurchillMistress of James II of England (1648-1730)
- Arabella Elizabeth RoupellBritish painter, botanical and scientific illustrator (1817-1914)
- Arabella MansfieldAmerican lawyer and suffragist (1846–1911)
- Arabella DormanBritish war artist and portrait painterborn 1975
- Arabella FieldAmerican actressborn 1965
- Arabella GoddardBritish musician (1836-1922)
- Arabella SteinbacherGerman violinistborn 1981
- Arabella ChurchillEnglish charity founder, festival co-founder, and fundraiser1949–2007
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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