Belle
Girl name · #1013 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Belle? In official American birth records, Belle has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Belle is currently the #1013 girl name in the United States — 247 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1049, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,287 girls born in 2025 was named Belle.
The 145-year story
Belle first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 238 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1915, when 407 girls were named Belle — good for #288 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Belle per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Belle against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Belle in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Belle is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Belle will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Belle is most common
Geography matters for names, and Belle is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Belle is most common in PA (0.3 per 1,000), IL (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Belle is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Belle
Belle belongs to the Isabelle family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Isabelle family went to about 3,920 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #58, versus #1013 for Belle alone.
Names like Belle
Statistically, parents drawn to Belle tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Estelle, Adele, Maybelle, Tillie, and Addie.
EstelleAdeleMaybelleTillieAddieZellaMaePearl
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Belle | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 247 | #1013 |
| 2024 | 255 | #1004 |
| 2023 | 250 | #1012 |
| 2022 | 274 | #971 |
| 2021 | 241 | #1045 |
| 2020 | 255 | #1000 |
| 2019 | 307 | #874 |
| 2018 | 312 | #870 |
| 2017 | 339 | #806 |
| 2016 | 293 | #935 |
| 2015 | 251 | #1049 |
| 2014 | 251 | #1032 |
| 2013 | 190 | #1254 |
| 2012 | 163 | #1408 |
| 2011 | 144 | #1524 |
| 2010 | 155 | #1456 |
| 2009 | 136 | #1639 |
| 2008 | 170 | #1395 |
| 2007 | 144 | #1570 |
| 2006 | 146 | #1505 |
| 2005 | 152 | #1406 |
| 2004 | 147 | #1413 |
| 2003 | 107 | #1755 |
| 2002 | 113 | #1632 |
| 2001 | 108 | #1671 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Belle?
In official American birth records, the name Belle first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 238 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Belle a popular girl name?
Belle ranked #1013 among girls in 2025 with 247 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1049.
When was the name Belle most popular?
Belle peaked in 1915, when 407 American girls received the name (ranked #288 that year). Since 1915 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Belle?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,287 newborn American girls was named Belle. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.