Girl name · French
Belle
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: beautifulBelle is a girl's name that comes from French and means "beautiful". It is used in English and French.
- Meaning
- Beautiful
- Origin
- French
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #1013 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Belle
As a girl's name, Belle comes from French and means "beautiful". It is used in English and French.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Belle on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Belle on 4 lists.
“French for beautiful; the star of every barn dance”
From Cowboy names, cowgirl names
“French for beautiful, short and sweet”
From Cute dog names, cute girl dog names
“For a goose in a ball gown”
From Porch goose names, girl porch goose names
“Beautiful; French. Sweet and lyrical”
From Girl middle names, one-syllable girl middle names
How popular is Belle?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,013
- 247 babies, 154 per million girls
- Best rank
- #90 in 1880
- Most babies: 407 in 1915
- Babies since 1880
- At least 19,227
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 2,017 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,131 per million |
| 1900s | 716 per million |
| 1910s | 356 per million |
| 1920s | 129 per million |
| 1930s | 50 per million |
| 1940s | 30 per million |
| 1950s | 21 per million |
| 1960s | 14 per million |
| 1970s | 11 per million |
| 1980s | 7 per million |
| 1990s | 22 per million |
| 2000s | 70 per million |
| 2010s | 137 per million |
| 2020s | 156 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #936 | #806 | #870 | #874 | #1,000 | #1,046 | #971 | #1,012 | #1,005 | #1,013 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Belle
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- AstridDivinely beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
- BeauHandsome, beautiful (French, boy)
- BellamyBeautiful friend (Old French, unisex)
- CalliopeBeautiful voice (Greek, girl)
- IngridIng is beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
- SigridBeautiful victory (Old Norse, girl)
- TeganFair, beautiful (Welsh, girl)
- AstaShort form of Astrid, divinely beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
- BomiBeautiful treasure (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- CadhlaBeautiful (Irish Gaelic, girl)
Middle names for Belle
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- CharityGenerous love (Latin, girl)
- CosimaOrder, decency (Greek, girl)
- ElizabethGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- FaithFaith, trust (English, girl)
- PearlPrecious gem from the sea (Latin, girl)
- SabineSabine woman (Latin, girl)
- SerenaSerene, calm (Latin, girl)
- WilhelminaResolute protector (Germanic, girl)
More girl names from French
- MagnoliaFlower named for botanist Pierre Magnol (French, girl)
- NoelleChristmas (French, girl)
- SoleilSun (French, girl)
- AiméeBeloved (French, girl)
- CapucineNasturtium flower (French, girl)
- ChantalStony (French, girl)
- ÉglantineSweetbriar, a wild rose (French, girl)
- EspéranceHope (French, girl)
- FleuretteLittle flower, a diminutive of Fleur (French, girl)
- GaranceMadder plant, used for red dye (French, girl)
Belle: common questions
What does the name Belle mean?
Belle comes from French and means "beautiful".
Is Belle a boy or girl name?
Belle is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Belle come from?
Belle comes from French and means "beautiful". Today it is used in English and French.
How popular is the name Belle?
Belle ranked #1,013 in the US in 2025, with 247 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Belle?
Names spelled like Belle include Bella, Beyle, Beate, Belén and Bilge.
What middle names go with Belle?
Middle names that flow well with Belle include Charity, Cosima, Elizabeth, Faith and Pearl. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.