Bela: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#5,749

among girls · ↓1,171 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Bela · -30% vs 2024

How common

1 in 76,537

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2008

49 babies

All-time total

1,295

#8,655 all-time among girls

First recorded

1912

in Social Security records

Bela popularity over time

1,295 babies have been named Bela since 1912, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	5	68	73	7	–	#3,239
1920s	23	68	91	9	+25%	#4,038
1930s	–	10	10	1	-89%	–
1940s	–	20	20	2	+100%	–
1950s	–	47	47	5	+135%	–
1960s	–	76	76	8	+62%	–
1970s	17	33	50	5	-34%	#7,511
1980s	6	25	31	3	-38%	#10,993
1990s	42	22	64	6	+106%	#7,824
2000s	258	78	336	34	+425%	#3,720
2010s	291	30	321	32	-4%	#3,582
2020s (to 2025)	168	8	176	29	-9%	#3,996

Where Bela is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	22	0.01	outside top 500
2027	23	0.01	outside top 500
2028	24	0.01	outside top 500
2029	25	0.02	outside top 500
2030	25	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Bela

Bela is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,749 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1912, 1,295 American babies have been named Bela, about 63% girls and 37% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2008, when 49 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Bela stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Bela?

The median living Bela is about 17 years old; half are between 9 and 25. An estimated 1,100 people named Bela are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Bela year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	21	#5,749	–	–
2024	30	#4,578	–	–
2023	37	#3,996	–	–
2022	30	#4,604	8	#9,083
2021	31	#4,426	–	–
2020	19	#6,119	–	–
2019	27	#4,930	–	–
2018	16	#7,160	5	#12,392
2017	22	#5,691	6	#10,944
2016	25	#5,304	6	#10,905
2015	16	#7,334	7	#9,690
2014	38	#3,934	6	#10,869
2013	28	#4,919	–	–
2012	41	#3,794	–	–
2011	34	#4,263	–	–
2010	44	#3,582	–	–
2009	30	#4,822	–	–
2008	43	#3,720	6	#11,221
2007	34	#4,390	11	#7,151
2006	34	#4,274	5	#12,248
2005	26	#4,978	12	#6,264
2004	23	#5,398	13	#5,846
2003	21	#5,613	7	#8,758
2002	15	#7,098	10	#6,586
2001	16	#6,663	5	#10,745
2000	16	#6,530	9	#6,904
1995	5	#13,674	6	#7,897
1990	–	–	–	–
1985	–	–	7	#5,196
1980	–	–	8	#4,538
1975	–	–	–	–
1970	–	–	10	#3,090
1965	–	–	10	#2,635
1960	–	–	9	#2,888
1955	–	–	7	#3,223
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	12	#2,448
1920	5	#5,062	5	#4,350
1915	–	–	13	#2,076
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Bela

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Bela Lugosi Hungarian actor (1882–1956) 19th century
2 Bela B. German rock musician b. 1962 · Contemporary
3 Bela Khotenashvili Georgian chess grandmaster (born 1988) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Bela, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Bela?

The median living Bela is about 17 years old. Half of all living Belas are between 9 and 25 years old.

How many people named Bela are alive today?

An estimated 1,100 people named Bela are alive in the United States, based on 1,295 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Bela mean?

Spelling variant of Bella.

How popular is the name Bela in 2025?

Bela ranked #5,749 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Bela?

1,295 babies have been named Bela in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Bela most popular?

Bela peaked in 2008, when 49 newborns received the name.

Is Bela a boy or girl name?

Bela is used for both: about 63% of babies named Bela have been girls and 37% boys.

Is the name Bela rising or falling?

Bela is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Bela become more popular?

Bela is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 25 girls named Bela in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Bela?

Well-known people named Bela include Bela Lugosi (actor), Bela B. (musician), Bela Khotenashvili (chess player).

Names like Bela

Names that sound and feel close to Bela: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Bela with similar names → More names starting with B →