Belle
Girl name · #1013 in 2025 · Uniqueness 63/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Belle against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Belle in class?
Belle scores 63 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Belle is most common
Geography matters for names, and Belle is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Belles were CA (40), NY (19), TX (18), FL (14), PA (14). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 63/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.