Annabelle
Annabelle has disputed origins. One theory traces it to the Old French "Amabel," from the Latin "amabilis" (lovable), with "Anna" added by folk etymology. Another, more romantic theory sees it as a fusion of "Anna" and "Belle" — beautiful Anna. Either way, the name first appears in medieval Scotland, where an Annabella was the mother of King Robert III. The name has a Gothic-literature charge in English thanks to Edgar Allan Poe's poem "Annabel Lee" (1849), which ends with the speaker lying down by the side of his "Annabel Lee" in her tomb. The poem's moody romanticism gave the name a dark beauty that it has never quite shaken. More recently, the horror film series "Annabelle" (2014 onward) rebranded the name as belonging to a haunted doll — an unfortunate bit of cultural timing. Despite the doll, Annabelle climbed steadily from 2000 to 2015, reaching #104 in the US in 2015. The name has too much musical charm to be ruined by one movie franchise. The "belle" element gives it French sophistication, and the doubled N gives it softness. Annabelle is a female name of French / Scottish origin that means "Lovable (or "beautiful Anna")". Romantic, musical, and slightly mysterious. The name sounds like it belongs in a poem. Annabelles tend to have an artistic streak. US top 200 since 2009. Peaked #104 in 2015. Well-known people named Annabelle include Annabel Lee (Poe's poem), Annabelle (haunted doll fiction), Annabelle Wallis (actress), Annabella Sciorra (actress). Common variations and related forms of Annabelle include Annabel (English), Amabel (Old French original), Anabella (Italian), Annabelle (modern).