Alternatives to Isabella

Frilly but undeniably beautiful. The meaning of Mary is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Variant of Maribella

The short-lived magazine edited by former Vogue chief Grace Mirabella put this beautiful name off-limits for a while, but now it's perfectly fit to join the fashionable Bella pantheon. More distinctive than Isabella.

Nevaeh: an already bold word name with the unusual twist of being spelled backwards; a nightmare for those who love traditional, classic names; a divisive option on name forums across the internet; and a spelling and pronunciation that aren’t quite intuitive at first glance.

Lacks the vintage charm of the original Arabella, but with the love for all names Bella, it might appeal to some.

A mashup of two of the most popular baby names today, Rose and Bella, that's still comparatively undiscovered in the US. Just 69 American baby girls were named Rosabella in 2016. It feels more Italianate and vivacious than Rosalind or Rosamund -- if also less refined.

Alluring and lovely — and much more distinctive now than Samantha or Tamara. Samara is a city in western Russia, a winged seed like the whirlygigs that fall from maple trees, as well as a bona fide first name that could make a more unusual update on Samantha or Mara. It can also be a variant spelling of the Arabic name Samira or Sameera.

The name is derived from the term commonly used in the Book of Psalms, which has a many Hebrew scholars in confusion over its meaning. Given its context in the Bible, Selah is likely to mean "to praise" or "pause and reflect upon what has just been said." Lauryn Hill used this name for her daughter. It is the last word in Anita Diamant's novel The Red Tent.

The lovely Sybella is being nudged into the spotlight by two influences: the original Sybil (the most popular spelling) or Sibyl, name of the beauteous youngest sister of television's period megahit Downton Abbey, and Top Ten name Isabella. Biggest downside: There are an awful lot of girls with names that are variations of Bella around these days. But Sybella at least makes a distinctive member of the genre.

Valeria -- the original form of the name, used by early Christians --has been experiencing significant popularity in recent years. While Valeria was nearly always on the charts, the name peaked in 2009 at #72, surpassing the longtime Franco-American version Valerie. Today Valeria and Valerie are at about equal rankings, sitting in the 150s.