Sophia Girl
soh-FEE-uh
“wisdom” · Greek
#5
Bela
GirlItalian, Latin· “variant of Bella; beautiful”
- Meaning
- variant of Bella; beautiful
- Origin
- Italian, Latin
- Pronunciation
- BEL-uh
- Syllables
- 2
- US rank 2025
- #5,749
- US babies 2025
- 21
- Best rank
- #3,239 (1913)
- Peak year
- 2010
Meaning and origin of Bela
Bela is an Italian and Latin name that is usually said to mean “variant of Bella; beautiful”.
Bela is used as a spelling of Bella, the Italian word for beautiful and a short form of Isabella and Annabella. In Portuguese, bela also means beautiful. It is said BEL-uh. The spelling can cause confusion because Béla is a well-known Hungarian man's name, borne by the composer Béla Bartók and the actor Bela Lugosi, and the Hungarian name has a different history. In the United States, the girls' Bela is simply a shorter spelling of Bella. The single l keeps the familiar sound while giving it a less expected look.
Other spellings with the same sound: Bella, Bellah.
Popularity over time
Bela first appears in US Social Security records in 1913. It has never ranked in the national top 1,000, which keeps it genuinely uncommon. Its best national rank was #3,239 in 1913, and the most babies received it in 2010, when 44 were named Bela. In 2025, 21 babies were named Bela, and it ranked #5,749 nationally. That is 31% more than ten years earlier, so it is clearly on the rise.
Its national rank moved from #5,062 in 1920, #6,530 in 2000, #3,582 in 2010, and #5,749 in 2025. Of the 810 US girls named Bela since records began, 36% were born in the 2010s, its biggest decade. The 2000s come next, with 258 babies.
Other girls' names that peaked around the same time include Aili, Phebe, Lucienne, Lynnea, and Neila.
Gender, sound and spelling
About 91% of US babies named Bela over the last 20 years were girls, with a small share of boys.
Bela is usually pronounced BEL-uh, with two syllables. It has four letters, starts with B and ends in “-la”. Names that sound the same but are spelled differently include Bella and Bellah.
Middle names for Bela
A few middle names that flow with Bela: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Bela
Similar names
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pah-OH-luh
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a-nuh-BEH-luh
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Lists that include Bela
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Bela mean?
Bela is an Italian and Latin name that is usually said to mean “variant of Bella; beautiful”.
What is the origin of the name Bela?
Bela has Italian and Latin roots. Bela is used as a spelling of Bella, the Italian word for beautiful and a short form of Isabella and Annabella.
Is Bela a popular name?
Not especially. Bela ranked #5,749 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Bela a boy or girl name?
Bela is mainly a girl's name. About 91% of US babies named Bela over the last 20 years were girls, with a small share of boys.
How do you pronounce Bela?
Bela is usually pronounced BEL-uh. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings