Name of the Day: Mabel
In the late 90s, we were all waiting for a baby – Paul and Jamie Buchman’s daughter on NBC’s Mad About You. Choosing a name proved challenging for the couple.
Thanks to Nessa for suggesting the appellation finally chosen for fictional Baby Buchman: Mabel.
In the sitcom, Mabel was an acronym for Mothers Always Bring Extra Love. In reality, Mabel started out as a short form for the medieval moniker Amabel.
Even if your Latin is lacking, you’ll probably recognize the source for this one - amare is the verb “to love.” Amicus means friendly. Amabilis means lovable.
While Amabel has faded, she spawned two names that continue today. Annabel is widely considered a corruption of the original. And Mabel, her short form, was a nineteenth century star.
But more than a decade after Mabel Buchman’s birth, the name has not made a comeback. Let’s not count her out, though. She fits in with several current trends, and could make for one of those unconventional choices that is strangely pleasing to the masses. Consider Mabel’s attributes:
- She shares the popular “a” sound with trendy picks like Jayden and Hailey;
- Her -el ending fits in with chart-toppers like Isabel and Gabrielle;
- She’s an undeniable throwback choice, having once shared the Top 20 with Grace and Emma;
- The very similar Hazel has leapt up the charts after Julia Roberts chose it for her daughter.
There are few famous Mabels to cite. One of the dogs on the long-running BBC children’s show Blue Peter bears the name; the Dutch Royal family includes a Princess Mabel; Mabel Normand was a famous silent movie actress and scandal magnet; Mabel Motley was a comic strip matriarch in the long-running Motley’s Crew.
We stumbled across a few sites listing the meaning of Mabel as “my beauty” or “my pretty one.” That’s based on the French phrase ma belle. (Think of The Beatles’ Michelle.) It may not be an accurate meaning, but it might prompt some parents to gussy up the name’s spelling: Mabelle or even Maybelle, anyone? The elaborations don’t wow us, but if French names for girls really are in vogue, they could appeal to many.
Mabel sounds surprisingly modern to our ear. She last charted in the US back in 1964, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see her reappear in the next few years. This one has a lot of spirit and would feel right at home in a kindergarten class with Abigail and Hannah, as well as McKayla and Cayden.
Filed under: As Seen on TV, Medieval Monikers, Names for Girls, Names of the Day | 12 Comments
Tags: Amabel, Mabel
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Just can’t get past Mabel being an old lady. It’s right there with Myrtle (and I do love Crape Myrtle trees, but I couldn’t name my child Myrtle). Amabel, sure, fine, okay… but maybe that’s because I say that “AM – uh – bell” and Mable is “MAY – bull”. Bell sounds pretty to my ear, bull does not. I do like Hazel – it’s a color, it’s got a nice zingy z in the middle, it doesn’t have the bull ending (zull is OK). There’s a character, Maybe, that was on Arrested Development. I’d rather call my baby Maybe than Mabel, but perhaps “Maybe” could be a nickname for Mabel… at least it’s amusing/comical. Sorry, just can’t go for Mabel.
I like Mabel! I prefer the orginal Amabel, personally but Mabel is beautiful all by herself. I agree she sounds current and I would be thrilled to meet a little Mabel. Maybe I’ll be lucky and there’ll be one in Josie’s kindergarten class next fall (already, I’m a touch flipped about that) ! Wasn’t there a Maybelle in “Bridge to Terabithia”? My bad, she was May Belle (what a cutie, too bad she’s a Bailee, Maybelle would have been darling on her, for real!)
Mabel’s not one that shows up in my top 20 (Where Maud reigns) but I do admire her and will happily encourage anyone thinking about Mabel. With engaging May as a possible nickname as well as the more popular Bel- sound, I think she’d be a real winner of a choice. Stand out, absolutely fantastic Mabel!
I just find Mabel so sweet and charming. I’ve never met one, but I’d love to. Amabel is beautiful, but I prefer Maybelle, sounds quite southern. My favorite of all though is definitely simple Mabel. And “Princess Mabel” sounds so cute, seems like there should be a children’s picture book about her adventures or something. It’s something i would use if i didn’t have so many other’s on my list that I love more. But I wish more people would use it, she’d fit in so nicely with Sophia, Olivia, Oscar, etc.
I quite adore Mabel! I had the same problem with Isabel vs. Annabel, and now Mabel is involved too! I wouldn’t nickname her, Mabel’s too perfect, and I think that Mabelle/Maybelle/Maebel/Maebelle is too darn insulting to the perfection that is Mabel.
I’d love to use her, but Isabel’s my #6.
Amabel’s lovely, but I prefer Annabel, because it mixes the old and the new, while still being a classic revival.
Mabel still has an old lady image for me and it’s mostly the pronunciation of the last syllable that does it – with the unstressed e it’s not bell. Hazel I dislike a little less. Ethel, Myrtle – no. Like Rachel though. Amabel, though.. that is pretty and unusual and I have only seen it in books – by British authors. I have never heard anyone say it though. Is is AM-uh-bel (like it) or AM-uh-bul? (don’t like). Annabel… that is one of my top 10 names.
I assume Amabel would be said like Annabel, but with an “m” sound instead of “n.” So AM uh bel, I think. The drawback is that she’d be forever correcting those who call her Annabel – which is probably how Amabel went extinct in the first place.
My original reaction to Mabel was similar to JNE’s: old lady. But you’re beginning to sway me. Changing the spelling (Mabelle, Maybelle, May Belle) to suggest the French sounding emphasis on the last syllable gives it a much more attractive air to my ear. It rings brightly like a bell as opposed to the dull thud you get from MAY-bull. Too much fluttering of the lips. Belle is lyrical. You can sing it better.
This name just doesn’t have much appeal to me.
Amabel is a little better, but I much prefer Mirabel and Isabel.
When I think of all the -bel/belle names I never consider Mabel as being one of their number, I think it’s because of the pronounciation of the last syllable which Shannon has already pointed out. One thing I would say is that this ending does give Mabel the advantage of feeling more well rounded than some of the other bel/belle names. As they can have a tendancy to feel like two names sandwiched together: take Annabel, Christabel or Rosabel for example.
Personally, I adore Mabel’s sweet, cutesy, hip, vintage feel and think she could be set for a comeback. She reminds me of big flouncy English rose floral prints; yet she’s no frilly princess and can definately hold her own. Just listen to the lyrics of the Fratelli’s latest hit single Mistress Mabel if you’re in any doubt: “Takes a liberty if you let her, yes she’s old but she should know better”. This broadcast of the name, coupled with the popularity of all the other -bel/belle names and the current trend for old fashioned names means that Mabel could very well be the next logical step on from Ruby and Lily, Isabel and Milly…
Ps. Please could Christabel be name of the day if she hasn’t already been?!
Absolutely! Christabel is 1/28.