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Home β€Ί Baby Names Directory β€Ί Belle

Belle

♀ Girl

Pronounced BEL /bΙ›l/High

Meaning: Beautiful; from French belle (beautiful, lovely), from Latin bella (beautiful), feminine of bellusHigh

In 30 seconds: A French adjective name simply meaning 'beautiful.' Elegant in its brevity, Belle has been used as a given name in English-speaking countries for centuries and gained a major modern boost from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
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Origin HighFrench, Latin
MeaningBeautiful; from French belle (beautiful, lovely), from Latin bella (beautiful), feminine of bellus
U.S. rank (2025)#1013 β†˜ Falling
2025 U.S. births247 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1915
Total births (all-time)β‰ˆ 19,223

Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data

peak 191518802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Belle is the French feminine adjective for 'beautiful,' from Latin bella (beautiful), the feminine of bellus. It has been used as an English given name since at least the 17th century, often as a short form of names like Isabelle or Annabelle, and also as a standalone name.

Belle peaked in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, declined through the mid-20th century, and began reviving in the 2010s alongside other vintage short names like Pearl and Bea. Disney's Belle character in Beauty and the Beast (1991 and 2017) sustained interest. Belle ranked #1005 for girls in 2024.

Did you know? Belle of Beauty and the Beast is widely cited as one of Disney's first 'bookish' heroines β€” her love of reading rather than romance-seeking was intentionally designed to update the fairy-tale princess archetype for 1991.
Overall data confidence 97%
Behind the Name β€” Belle β€” French/Latin etymologyU.S. Social Security Administration β€” popularity data

Variations

BellaBelBell

Nicknames

β€”

Famous Bearers

  • β˜…Belle (fictional)
    The heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991), a bookish young woman who falls in love with the Beast. Voiced by Paige O'Hara.

If you like Belle…

Bellaβ€” the Italian form meaning beautiful, enormously popular in the same era
Pearlβ€” one-syllable vintage gem name enjoying the same revival
Beaβ€” one-syllable vintage name with the same quiet old-fashioned charm
Claireβ€” one-syllable French adjective name with the same classic elegance
Graceβ€” one-syllable virtue name with the same timeless simplicity

Explore names like Belle

By themelatinshortfrenchvintageone-syllabledisney
By meaningLoveBeauty

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Belle mean?

Belle means 'beautiful,' from French belle and Latin bella. It is a complete word-name in French.

How do you pronounce Belle?

It's said BEL β€” one syllable, rhyming with 'bell.'

Is Belle a boy or girl name?

Belle is used as a girls' name.

How popular is Belle?

Belle ranked #1005 for U.S. girls in 2024.

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