Meaning of 'Arabella' (WAS Re: OOP: Animagus)

[maria_kirilenko]

No: HPFGUIDX 55270

I wrote:
>As for the meaning of the name Arabella Figg... We've dicussed it 
>before. Arabella means, AFAIK, 'Beautiful Sanctuary.'>>

erinellii replied:

>I looked "Arabella" up in the "Best Baby Name Book Ever"  and it 
>gave the meaning as "answered prayer".  But those meanings are still 
>pretty close.

Me:
Yes, they are. But I just checked an online Latin roots dictionary 
(http://catholic.archives.nd.edu), and it said that 'ara -ae f. 
[altar]; hence [refuge , protection].'

'Bella' means beautiful. So we get 'Beautiful Refuge' or 'Beautiful 
protection,' which is almost synonymous with 'Beautiful Sanctuary.' I 
wouldn't really attach too much meaning to the 'bella' part, as it's 
a fairly common ending for female names. So, basically, Arabella 
means 'protection.' Which, apparently, she provides.

Maria, who likes to read Baby Names books