Fun Facts About the Name Bella
- More than 83 thousand babies named Bella: U.S. records list 83,711 babies given the name Bella from 1880 through 2025. Even 45 boys received the name Bella - about 1 boy for every 1,859 girls.
What Does the Name Bella Mean?
Bella means "beautiful." It comes from Italian and Spanish bella, the feminine form of bello, "beautiful," which goes back to Latin bellus, "pretty, handsome, fine." The Latin word for war, bellum, is unrelated, so the two should not be connected. In English, Bella is also used as a short form of Isabella and of other names ending in -bella, such as Annabella and Arabella. In that use, Bella does not carry the Italian adjective's meaning by itself; it borrows the meaning of the longer name.
Bella Name History & Origins
Bella has its own history as a given name in Italy and Spain, where it is the feminine form of the adjective bello. It became familiar in other languages in part through Romance-language naming and through Isabella, a name that entered English from French and, before that, from forms of Elizabeth. Elizabeth goes back to Hebrew Elisheva, often explained as "God is my oath." When Bella is a short form of Isabella, Arabella, or Annabella, its history is tied to the longer name rather than to the Italian adjective alone.
In English, Bella appears as an independent name and as a familiar form of Isabella. Charles Dickens used it for Bella Wilfer in Our Mutual Friend (1864 - 65), and Stephenie Meyer used it for Bella Swan in Twilight (2005). These are literary uses, not the name's earliest appearances. The name is also used in Spanish- and Italian-speaking countries, where the adjective and the given name are identical in form.
How Popular is the Name Bella?
Bella recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2010. Bella entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 2009.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #136 | 2,129 | 0.1325% |
| 2024 | #109 | 2,469 | 0.1531% |
| 2023 | #106 | 2,559 | 0.1597% |
| 2022 | #85 | 2,912 | 0.1777% |
| 2021 | #73 | 3,366 | 0.2053% |
| 2020 | #63 | 3,645 | 0.2256% |
| 2019 | #50 | 4,396 | 0.2620% |
| 2018 | #48 | 4,573 | 0.2689% |
| 2017 | #50 | 4,664 | 0.2702% |
| 2016 | #78 | 3,681 | 0.2078% |
| 2015 | #74 | 3,812 | 0.2136% |
| 2014 | #70 | 4,102 | 0.2297% |
| 2013 | #58 | 4,189 | 0.2388% |
| 2012 | #54 | 4,361 | 0.2477% |
| 2011 | #60 | 4,278 | 0.2432% |
| 2010 | #48 | 5,135 | 0.2889% |
| 2009 | #58 | 4,539 | 0.2471% |
| 2008 | #122 | 2,789 | 0.1475% |
| 2007 | #157 | 2,260 | 0.1176% |
| 2006 | #181 | 1,959 | 0.1030% |
| 2005 | #208 | 1,664 | 0.0901% |
| 2004 | #260 | 1,240 | 0.0675% |
| 2003 | #317 | 974 | 0.0533% |
| 2002 | #426 | 683 | 0.0380% |
| 2001 | #609 | 413 | 0.0229% |
| 2000 | #749 | 307 | 0.0169% |
| 1999 | #1,085 | 185 | 0.0104% |
| 1998 | #1,191 | 156 | 0.0088% |
| 1997 | #1,658 | 95 | 0.0055% |
| 1996 | #1,966 | 72 | 0.0041% |
| 1995 | #1,483 | 107 | 0.0061% |
| 1994 | #1,866 | 76 | 0.0043% |
| 1993 | #2,537 | 49 | 0.0027% |
| 1992 | #2,983 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 1991 | #2,596 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 1990 | #3,723 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1989 | #5,070 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #4,331 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1987 | #4,301 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1986 | #4,747 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1985 | #3,631 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1984 | #4,009 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1983 | #3,562 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1982 | #3,661 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1981 | #4,019 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1980 | #4,341 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1979 | #3,250 | 25 | 0.0016% |
| 1978 | #3,789 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1977 | #3,007 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1976 | #3,689 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1975 | #2,619 | 29 | 0.0020% |
| 1974 | #3,440 | 19 | 0.0013% |
| 1973 | #2,568 | 28 | 0.0019% |
| 1972 | #3,288 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1971 | #3,175 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1970 | #2,358 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1969 | #3,206 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1968 | #2,545 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 1967 | #3,215 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1966 | #3,156 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1965 | #1,997 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 1964 | #2,754 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1963 | #2,630 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1962 | #2,469 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1961 | #2,613 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1960 | #2,104 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 1959 | #2,347 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1958 | #1,875 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1957 | #2,281 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1956 | #2,197 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1955 | #1,599 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 1954 | #1,990 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1953 | #1,493 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 1952 | #1,613 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1951 | #1,806 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1950 | #2,126 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1949 | #1,739 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 1948 | #1,862 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1947 | #1,414 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1946 | #1,923 | 23 | 0.0015% |
| 1945 | #2,476 | 13 | 0.0010% |
| 1944 | #2,212 | 16 | 0.0012% |
| 1943 | #2,263 | 16 | 0.0011% |
| 1942 | #1,810 | 22 | 0.0016% |
| 1941 | #1,505 | 27 | 0.0022% |
| 1940 | #1,851 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1939 | #1,515 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1938 | #1,815 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1937 | #1,788 | 19 | 0.0018% |
| 1936 | #1,347 | 29 | 0.0028% |
| 1935 | #1,382 | 28 | 0.0027% |
| 1934 | #1,035 | 45 | 0.0043% |
| 1933 | #1,161 | 37 | 0.0037% |
| 1932 | #1,032 | 47 | 0.0044% |
| 1931 | #985 | 50 | 0.0047% |
| 1930 | #909 | 64 | 0.0057% |
| 1929 | #766 | 83 | 0.0074% |
| 1928 | #846 | 73 | 0.0063% |
| 1927 | #762 | 90 | 0.0075% |
| 1926 | #703 | 106 | 0.0089% |
| 1925 | #635 | 133 | 0.0109% |
| 1924 | #648 | 134 | 0.0107% |
| 1923 | #549 | 172 | 0.0143% |
| 1922 | #528 | 178 | 0.0148% |
| 1921 | #509 | 192 | 0.0156% |
| 1920 | #506 | 188 | 0.0157% |
| 1919 | #458 | 211 | 0.0187% |
| 1918 | #428 | 238 | 0.0206% |
| 1917 | #439 | 215 | 0.0199% |
| 1916 | #438 | 207 | 0.0198% |
| 1915 | #485 | 160 | 0.0163% |
| 1914 | #443 | 152 | 0.0200% |
| 1913 | #442 | 125 | 0.0200% |
| 1912 | #442 | 113 | 0.0202% |
| 1911 | #450 | 82 | 0.0196% |
| 1910 | #467 | 73 | 0.0184% |
| 1909 | #427 | 75 | 0.0216% |
| 1908 | #449 | 65 | 0.0194% |
| 1907 | #463 | 60 | 0.0188% |
| 1906 | #463 | 54 | 0.0183% |
| 1905 | #473 | 52 | 0.0178% |
| 1904 | #500 | 43 | 0.0156% |
| 1903 | #482 | 44 | 0.0168% |
| 1902 | #426 | 53 | 0.0201% |
| 1901 | #509 | 36 | 0.0150% |
| 1900 | #389 | 73 | 0.0244% |
| 1899 | #398 | 53 | 0.0227% |
| 1898 | #493 | 39 | 0.0151% |
| 1897 | #443 | 44 | 0.0188% |
| 1896 | #441 | 43 | 0.0181% |
| 1895 | #465 | 39 | 0.0167% |
| 1894 | #476 | 35 | 0.0157% |
| 1893 | #395 | 46 | 0.0216% |
| 1892 | #365 | 53 | 0.0250% |
| 1891 | #405 | 37 | 0.0199% |
| 1890 | #385 | 42 | 0.0221% |
| 1889 | #398 | 37 | 0.0207% |
| 1888 | #443 | 31 | 0.0174% |
| 1887 | #436 | 26 | 0.0178% |
| 1886 | #460 | 22 | 0.0152% |
| 1885 | #414 | 25 | 0.0188% |
| 1884 | #358 | 31 | 0.0240% |
| 1883 | #465 | 17 | 0.0151% |
| 1882 | #459 | 16 | 0.0148% |
| 1881 | #325 | 24 | 0.0261% |
| 1880 | #469 | 13 | 0.0143% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | #12,383 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #10,944 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #9,754 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #8,153 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #8,897 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #12,702 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #12,757 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Bella
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How the Name Bella Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Bella's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bella's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.