Bella
Bella is a girls' name of Italian origin meaning “beautiful.” It ranked #44 in the United States in 2025. An Italian and Latin diminutive meaning beautiful, also used as a short form of Isabella.
how do you pronounce Bella?
BEL-ah
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Bella mean?
The name Bella means “beautiful.” It comes from the Italian language tradition.
An Italian and Latin diminutive meaning beautiful, also used as a short form of Isabella. The name's popularity surged dramatically following the Twilight saga, in which Bella Swan is the protagonist. It is now one of the most widely used names across Europe and the Americas.
where does the name Bella come from?
From the Italian bella, meaning beautiful, though in practice it functions at least as often as a short form of Isabella, Annabella or Arabella. Both routes are live, and most modern bearers are using it as a name in its own right.
the history of Bella
Bella Abzug, the New York congresswoman known for her hats and her advocacy, gave the name a forceful mid-century bearer. Its recent surge is almost entirely attributable to the Twilight novels from 2005, whose narrator Bella Swan carried both the short form and the full Isabella into the top ranks simultaneously.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #44 |
| 2023 | #42 |
| 2022 | #40 |
| 2021 | #38 |
| 2020 | #34 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Bella?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Bella?
- Bella Hadid (model)
- Bella Thorne (actress)
- Bella Swan (Twilight character)
what names are similar to Bella?
what names go well with Bella?
Sibling names that share Bella's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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