ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1880 First Year 2026 Last Year 2010 Peak Year #48 Peak Rank 86K Total Count 147 Years Active 🌍 ## 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 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * English 📖 ## The Story of Bella American parents first put Bella on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 13 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2010, when 5,135 Bellas were born — ranking #48 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 50% of all recorded Bellas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #140 among baby girl names 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 ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Bella Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Bella. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Amabel](/amabel) * [Anabella](/anabella) * [Anabelle](/anabelle) * [Annabel](/annabel) * [Annabella](/annabella) * [Annabelle](/annabelle) * [Arabella](/arabella) * [Belle](/belle) * [Elisabeth](/elisabeth) * [Elizabeth](/elizabeth) * [Elsabeth](/elsabeth) * [Elyzabeth](/elyzabeth) * [Isabel](/isabel) * [Isabella](/isabella) * [Isabelle](/isabelle) * [Isbel](/isbel) * [Isebella](/isebella) * Isi * Issy * [Izabelle](/izabelle) * [Izzy](/izzy) * [Sabella](/sabella) ⭐ ## 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 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella) 🎶 ## 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. * [Bela](/bela) * [Bellah](/bellah) * [Belah](/belah) * [Billa](/billa) * Belly * Bellow * Balla * Belo * Bola * Beli * Bello * Bala Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Bella What does the name Bella mean? 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. What is the origin of the name Bella? Bella has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English. How popular is Bella in 2026? In 2026, Bella ranks #140 among girls' names in the U.S., with 2,133 babies given the name that year. When was Bella most popular? Bella reached its peak popularity in 2010, ranking #48 that year with 5,135 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Bella most popular? Bella has historically been most popular in U.S. Territories, Nevada, Arizona. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Bella. Is Bella a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Bella is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name. What names go well with Bella? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bella include Daisy, Juanita, Faith. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Bella? Common variants and related forms of Bella include Amabel, Anabella, Anabelle, Annabel, Annabella, Annabelle. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names [👧DaisyPeak #48](/daisy)[👧JuanitaPeak #48](/juanita)[👧FaithPeak #48](/faith)[👧HollyPeak #48](/holly)[👧SherryPeak #48](/sherry)[👧TrinityPeak #48](/trinity)[👧MayaPeak #48](/maya)[👧FanniePeak #47](/fannie) ## 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 → ](/year/2010) * [ Names of the 2010s → ](/decade/2010s) * [ Names starting with "B" → ](/letter/b) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.