Blend of Anna (grace) and Bella (beautiful), meaning graceful beauty.
Annabella is a romantic name with multiple strands woven into it. In one reading, it is the Latinate form of Annabel; in another, it is a transparent blend of Anna and bella, giving it the sense of "grace" joined to "beauty." Anna ultimately comes from the Hebrew Hannah, meaning "grace" or "favor," while bella is the Italian and Latin word for "beautiful."
The result is a name that sounds almost self-explanatory even before one studies its history. It is elaborate but not unwieldy, ornate without losing clarity. The name has a long cultural afterlife.
Medieval and early modern Scotland knew royal bearers such as Annabella Drummond, queen consort of Robert III, which gave it courtly prestige. Later forms such as Annabel and Annabelle entered literature and popular imagination, helped along by the orbit of Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" and by the broader family of belle and bella names. In modern usage, Annabella has often felt more Italianate and lavish than Annabel, more flowing and decorative.
It rose in English-speaking countries as parents rediscovered antique, storybook names with a lyrical finish. What makes Annabella endure is that it manages to feel both aristocratic and warm. It belongs equally to castles, operas, and nursery books, carrying the shimmer of old Europe while remaining perfectly wearable in the present.