Girl's name
Bella
Say it BEL-uh
Italian origin from Isabel, my God is an oath
2 syllables
Where Bella is loved, common and rare
Common across England and Wales and two more places. Rare in Ireland, Scotland, Canada and 15 more places.
1 in 436 girls born in Scotland in 2025
England and Wales 91stIreland 110thScotland 111th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 23 of the 40 official lists, among them England and Wales (91st), Ireland (110th) and Scotland (111th).
Show all 23 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 29th 2025 | 291 | rank only |
| New Zealand | 88th 2025 | 43 | rank only |
| England and Wales | 91st 2025 | 515 | 1 in 492 |
| Ireland | 110th 2025 | 42 | 1 in 503 |
| Scotland | 111th 2025 | 41 | 1 in 436 |
| British Columbia province | 143rd 2023 | 21 | about 1 in 569 |
| Ontario province | 149th 2024 | 74 | about 1 in 736 |
| Sweden | 159th 2025 | 57 | about 1 in 705 |
| Cologne city | 159th 2023 | 7 | about 1 in 878 |
| Northern Ireland | 161st 2025 | 11 | 1 in 662 |
| Catalonia region | 173rd 2025 | 24 | 1 in 803 |
| Berlin city | 173rd 2023 | 18 | about 1 in 806 |
| The Netherlands | 222nd 2025 | 67 | about 1 in 911 |
| Norway | 229th 2025 | 18 | 1 in 1,211 |
| Poland | 287th 2025 | 16 | 1 in 7,487 |
| Austria | 346th 2025 | 15 | 1 in 2,381 |
| Israel בלה | 418th 2024 | 27 | about 1 in 2,906 |
| Switzerland | 424th 2025 | 16 | 1 in 2,125 |
| Quebec province | 500th 2025 | 9 | about 1 in 2,889 |
| Italy | 648th 2024 | 17 | 1 in 10,539 |
| France | 661st 2025 | 60 | 1 in 4,780 |
| Leipzig city | 156th 2025 | 3 | about 1 in 875 |
| Bonn city | 382nd 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 3,015 |
Rare, below the listed names: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Munich, Rostock, Spain and Slovenia.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Belügyminisztérium, Nyilvántartások (kormany.hu) (Hungary); Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), SmartStart (New Zealand); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
Bella began in Italian as a pet form of Isabella and Arabella. By folk etymology it is often read as bella, 'beautiful', but its real meaning comes through Isabel: 'my God is an oath'.
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Two syllables, BEL-uh, give it a light, lively sound. Belle and Bell are shorter relatives, and Isabella is the longer name behind it.
Bella is used in New Zealand, England and Wales, and Ireland, and ranks high in Hungary. The Ontario and British Columbia records place its peak in 2020, but it is now falling in almost twice as many places as it is rising. It remains a familiar name in its own right.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- BEL-uh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
- from Isabel,
my God is an oath
- Origin
- Italian
- Other spellings
- Isabella
- Belle
- Bellina
- Abella
- Bell
Etymology
From Italian: a diminutive of Isabella and Arabella, by folk etymology interpreted as bella (“beautiful”).
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 6 of 21 regions, falling in 11.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 66 | 59 | 54 | 53 | 63 | 72 | 77 | 67 | 76 | 91 |
| Scotland | 87 | 64 | 69 | 61 | 69 | 63 | 69 | 80 | 83 | 111 |
| Northern Ireland | 43 | 56 | 112 | 37 | 76 | 62 | 127 | 88 | 80 | 161 |
| Ireland | 114 | 114 | 85 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 81 | 78 | 98 | 110 |
| Ontario | 195 | 177 | 131 | 122 | 113 | 152 | 121 | 176 | 149 | |
| British Columbia | 78 | 84 | 74 | 101 | 84 | 90 | 93 | 143 | ||
| New South Wales | 63 | 73 | 86 | 69 | 84 | 71 | 69 | 96 | 99 | |
| Victoria | 80 | 84 | 91 | 95 | 62 | 86 | 76 | 91 | ||
| Queensland | 71 | 67 | 82 | 75 | 84 | 75 | 86 | 86 | 77 | |
| South Australia | 91 | 121 | ||||||||
| New Zealand | 57 | 46 | 39 | 52 | 47 | 63 | 63 | 43 | 80 | 88 |
| Quebec | 565 | 294 | 284 | 290 | 262 | 371 | 314 | 296 | 442 | 500 |
| France | 630 | 595 | 492 | 504 | 530 | 520 | 512 | 573 | 524 | 661 |
| The Netherlands | 334 | 209 | 287 | 229 | 233 | 217 | 216 | 197 | 222 | |
| Austria | 502 | 551 | 454 | 311 | 380 | 363 | 278 | 299 | 361 | 346 |
| Switzerland | 1002 | 1292 | 567 | 490 | 527 | 547 | 496 | 622 | 387 | 424 |
| Berlin | 227 | 317 | 352 | 233 | 198 | 255 | 283 | 173 | ||
| Munich | 239 | 238 | ||||||||
| Cologne | 370 | 219 | 349 | 238 | 432 | 170 | 318 | 159 | ||
| Bonn | 220 | 222 | 359 | 237 | 264 | 392 | 176 | 362 | 382 | |
| Leipzig | 98 | 257 | 189 | 186 | 134 | 117 | 254 | 112 | 143 | 156 |
| Rostock | 283 | 228 | 202 | 199 | 202 | 197 | 82 | 158 | ||
| Norway | 257 | 277 | 229 | 196 | 230 | 160 | 170 | 158 | 184 | 229 |
| Sweden | 126 | 122 | 113 | 94 | 117 | 116 | 109 | 118 | 153 | 159 |
| Iceland | 230 | 131 | ||||||||
| Catalonia | 317 | 399 | 280 | 346 | 258 | 269 | 178 | 167 | 171 | 173 |
| Italy | 1013 | 684 | 656 | 648 | ||||||
| Poland | 377 | 335 | 355 | 331 | 322 | 307 | 389 | 279 | 374 | 287 |
| Hungary | 59 | 50 | 59 | 58 | 56 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 |
| Slovenia | 239 | 232 | ||||||||
| Israel | 476 | 435 | 437 | 447 | 466 | 458 | 432 | 456 | 418 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 91 | 515 | 203.3 |
| 2024 | 76 | 619 | 239.9 |
| 2023 | 67 | 687 | 267.8 |
| 2022 | 77 | 642 | 243.6 |
| 2021 | 72 | 730 | 266.4 |
| 2020 | 63 | 792 | 295.1 |
| 2019 | 53 | 958 | 342.1 |
| 2018 | 54 | 969 | 336.1 |
| 2017 | 59 | 974 | 325.7 |
| 2016 | 66 | 950 | 309.3 |
| 2015 | 58 | 1,020 | 331.2 |
| 2014 | 52 | 1,141 | 372.1 |
| 2013 | 56 | 1,042 | 337.8 |
| 2012 | 58 | 1,027 | 318.9 |
| 2011 | 69 | 823 | 256.1 |
| 2010 | 104 | 575 | 179.1 |
| 2009 | 165 | 314 | 100.2 |
| 2008 | 261 | 184 | 58.3 |
| 2007 | 293 | 161 | 52.6 |
| 2006 | 388 | 108 | 36.1 |
| 2005 | 438 | 84 | 29.1 |
| 2004 | 514 | 64 | 22.4 |
| 2003 | 619 | 47 | 16.9 |
| 2002 | 735 | 35 | 13.1 |
| 2001 | 710 | 35 | 13.1 |
| 2000 | 728 | 32 | 11.7 |
| 1999 | 703 | 33 | 11.7 |
| 1998 | 925 | 23 | 8.0 |
| 1997 | 1015 | 20 | 6.8 |
| 1996 | 916 | 23 | 7.8 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Bella in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 2015. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2020, at 186.2 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Bella per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 2020 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Bella
1 in 459 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Bella.
1 in 202 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Bella.
1 in 344 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Bella.
1 in 208 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Bella.
1 in 140 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Bella.
1 in 298 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Bella.
1 in 347 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Bella.
1 in 175 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Bella.
1 in 358 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Bella.
1 in 1,025 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Bella.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Aria.
Middle names for Bella
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Bella Grace
2-1 beats · initials BG
Changes the beat after Bella: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Bella Olivia
2-4 beats · initials BO · Bella slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Bella: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Bella slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Bella Sophia
2-3 beats · initials BS
Changes the beat after Bella: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Bella Maria
2-3 beats · initials BM
Changes the beat after Bella: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Bella Rose
2-1 beats · initials BR
Changes the beat after Bella: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Bella Emily
2-3 beats · initials BE · Bella slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Bella: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Bella slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Bella Julia
2-3 beats · initials BJ
Changes the beat after Bella: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Bella Miriam
2-3 beats · initials BM
Changes the beat after Bella: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Bella
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 166 in England and Wales
96% alike: moves with Bella across countries and decades.
1 in 189 in Ireland
96% alike: moves with Bella across countries and decades.
1 in 141 in Scotland
95% alike: moves with Bella across countries and decades.
1 in 208 in Northern Ireland
95% alike: moves with Bella across countries and decades.
1 in 108 in Scotland
95% alike: moves with Bella across countries and decades.
1 in 197 in Scotland
95% alike: moves with Bella across countries and decades.
1 in 109 in Ireland
95% alike: moves with Bella across countries and decades.
1 in 67 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Bella across countries and decades.
Famous people named Bella
Bella Abzug, Bella Darvi, Bella Rosenfeld, Bella Davidovich, Bella Agossou, Bella Sims, Bella Galhos and Bella A. Burnasheva.
Show all 8Show less
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American politician (1920-1998)
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Actress (1928-1971)
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American writer and artist model (1889-1944)
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American musician born 1928
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Beninese actress born 1981
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American swimmer born 2005
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Timorese translator, presidential advisor and human rights activist born 1972
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Soviet Russian astronomer (1944-)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Bella
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Bella?
Her best rank is No. 29 in Hungary in 2025. She is in the published lists of 23 of our 40 regions.
What does Bella mean?
Bella takes her meaning from Isabel: "my God is an oath", per Wiktionary.
How do you pronounce Bella?
BEL-uh, with 2 syllables.
Is Bella getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 6 of 21 regions, falling in 11.
Which sister names go with Bella?
The deck's top five sisters for Bella: Scarlett, Eden, Eliana, Zara and Phoebe. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.