A feminine given name, sometimes meaning 'yielding to prayer' from Latin and Arabic roots.
From Latin 'orabilis' (yielding, flexible) combined with the feminine ending '-ella'. Some etymologists connect it to Arabic 'arab' (grace), though this is debated. The name became popular in English-speaking countries during the Victorian era.
Arabella appears in Shakespeare and period dramas because it has an aristocratic, romantic sound—the 'bella' ending (like Cinderella, Isabella) makes any name feel elegant and formal, which is why it stuck around for centuries.
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