Girl · #13,427 in 2026

Bell

Name: Popularity of the name Bell in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Bell, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that—when struck—vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an internal "clapper" or "uvula", an external hammer, or—in small bells—by a small loose sphere enclosed within the body of the bell.

Current Rank

#13,427

Peak Rank

#423 (1900)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

-26%

1880

First Year

2024

Last Year

1900

Peak Year

#423

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Bell

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology

13th c. BC bell, Shang dynasty Bell is a word common to the Low German dialects, cognate with Middle Low German belle and Dutch bel but not appearing among the other Germanic languages except the Icelandic bjalla which was a loanword from Old English . It is popularly but not certainly related to the former sense of to bell ( Old English : bellan , 'to roar, to make a loud noise') which gave rise to bellow .

Origin & history

Chinese bronze bell, 18th–16th century BCE Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng , dated 433 BCE The earliest archaeological evidence of bells dates from the 3rd millennium BCE, and is traced to the Yangshao culture of Neolithic China . Clapper-bells made of pottery have been found in several archaeological sites. The pottery bells later developed into metal bells. In West Asia, the first bells appear in 1000 BCE. The earliest metal bells, with one found in the Taosi site and four in the Erlitou site, are dated to about 2000 BCE. With the emergence of other kinds of bells during the Shang dynasty (

The Story of Bell

Bell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 31 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1900, when 63 Bells were born — ranking #423 that year. As of 2026, Bell ranks #13,427 for baby girls with 6 births, falling sharply (-26%). In total, more than 2K Bells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Bell

Phonetically similar names — useful when Bell is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Belle
Bel
Bele
Behl
Bill
Bul
Bil
Byl
Bihl
Bhel
Ball
Bail

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bell

What does the name Bell mean?

How popular is Bell in 2026?

In 2026, Bell ranks #13,427 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Bell most popular?

Bell reached its peak popularity in 1900, ranking #423 that year with 63 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Bell most popular?

Bell has historically been most popular in South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Bell.

Is Bell a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Bell is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Bell?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bell include Celina, Daisie, Verona. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Bell

Bell is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Bell's peak popularity came in 1900 when it ranked #423. Use the chart and map above to compare Bell's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.