'Anabell' originates from English/French naming traditions, specifically from the combination of the name 'Anna' and the French word 'belle', where 'Anna' (from Hebrew 'Hannah') meant 'grace' and 'belle' meant 'beautiful'.

'Anabell' changed from medieval and early modern forms such as 'Annabel' and 'Anabel' (attested in Old French, Middle English, and later British usage) and eventually produced modern variant spellings like 'Annabelle' and 'Anabell' through Anglicization and orthographic variation.

Initially it conveyed the sense 'graceful/beautiful' as a compound of 'Anna' + 'belle'; over time it has remained a feminine given name associated with those qualities rather than carrying a literal composite meaning in everyday use.