Arbella as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Arbella

What is the meaning of the name Arbella ?

The baby name Arbella is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced ar-BEL-ə (IPA: /ɑrˈbɛlə/).

Arbella is Latin, Scottish in Origin.

Arbella is an English variant of Arabella, a name with debated roots. Most scholars connect it to medieval Latin orabilis, “prayerful” or “yielding to prayer,” transmitted through Anglo-Norman into Scots and English as Orabel/Orabella, later Arabella and Arbella. Another line links it to the Old French Amabel (from Latin amabilis, “lovable”), which also produced Annabel. Either route gives Arbella the sense of devotion and charm.

Use is well attested in 16th–17th‑century Britain, borne by Lady Arbella Stuart (1575–1615), a one-time royal claimant, and commemorated by the flagship Arbella of the 1630 Winthrop Fleet, aiding the name’s passage to New England. While Arabella enjoyed broader revival in the Georgian and Victorian periods and again today, Arbella remains the rarer, historically grounded spelling. Variants and related forms include Arabella, Arabelle, Arabela, Arabel, Orabella, Orabel; diminutives include Ara, Ari, Bella, Belle, and Ella.