James Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly welcomed their third child—a daughter—earlier this week. Joining big sister Olivia and big brother Joshua is brand new baby Annabel.
Annabel is a bit more offbeat than her siblings’ top ten baby names—her name is falling just below the top 500. The name means loving, and its big claim to fame is Edgar Allan Poe’s classic poem, Annabel Lee. The name was at its most popular back in the 1880s, when it neared the top 400, but it’s currently on a major upswing. And since it’s in stile close to top names like Isabella and Adeline, it may reach its pinnacle of popularity in the next few years.
No word from the Van Der Beeks about which middle name they chose. My picks would be Lee (I’m a big Poe fan at heart), plus names like Rose, Maeve, Margaret or James (that’s the new hot middle name for girls!).
What do you think of the name Annabel? And what middle name would you pick with it? Get help finding the perfect name for your baby with our Baby Name Finder, or like In Name Only to keep up with the latest in baby names.
Image: Kim and James Van Der Beek by Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com