Bella
Bella is a feminine given name. It is a diminutive or nickname form of names ending in -bella, including Isabella. However, it can also derive, unrelatedly, from the Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and (ultimately) Latin words for "beautiful". In French, Belle is a name and word meaning beautiful.
Meaning & Origin of Bella
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Bella is a feminine given name. It is a diminutive or nickname form of names ending in -bella, including Isabella. However, it can also derive, unrelatedly, from the Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and (ultimately) Latin words for "beautiful". In French, Belle is a name and word meaning beautiful.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Bella
Bella first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 13 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2010, when 5,135 Bellas were born — ranking #48 that year. As of 2026, Bella ranks #140 for baby girls with 2,133 births, falling sharply (-40%). In total, more than 86K Bellas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Bella
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Bella Abzug (1920–1998), American politician and prominent figure in the women's movement
- Bella Agossou (born 1981), Beninese actress
- Bella Akhmadulina (1937–2010), Soviet/Russian poet, writer, and translator
- Bella Alarie (born 1998), American basketball player
- Bella Alten (1877–1962), Polish operatic soprano
- Bella Alubo (born 1993), Nigerian musician, singer, and songwriter
- Bella Andre (fl. 2010), American author
- Bella Angara (born 1939), Filipina politician and former governor of Aurora province
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Bella
Phonetically similar names — useful when Bella is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bella
What does the name Bella mean?
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About the name Bella
Bella is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 86K births in the dataset. Bella's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #48. Use the chart and map above to compare Bella's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2010 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.