Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1900

Bell

Gender Girl · 5% boys Rank 2025 #11,097

A male given name transferred from the surname, of occasional usage.

Rank 2025
#11,097
among girls · ↑2,640 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
8
named Bell
How common
1 in 200,908
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1900
63 babies
All-time total
2,626
#4,052 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Bell popularity over time

2,626 babies have been named Bell since 1880, 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
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
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 416 – 416 42 – #275
1890s 511 – 511 51 +23% #324
1900s 418 13 431 43 -16% #414
1910s 450 42 492 49 +14% #584
1920s 290 50 340 34 -31% #1,175
1930s 125 10 135 14 -60% #1,708
1940s 84 – 84 8 -38% #2,311
1950s 46 – 46 5 -45% #4,151
1960s 18 5 23 2 -50% #5,339
1970s 11 – 11 1 -52% #7,132
1980s – – – – – –
1990s – 10 10 1 – –
2000s 20 – 20 2 +100% #12,615
2010s 64 – 64 6 +220% #7,818
2020s (to 2025) 43 – 43 7 +12% #11,097

The story of Bell

Bell is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #11,097 in 2025 with 8 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,626 American babies have been named Bell. Its peak came in 1900, when 63 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1900s.

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 Bell stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Bell?

The median living Bell is about 63 years old; half are between 11 and 80. An estimated 300 people named Bell are alive in the United States today.

median 63 020406080100

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

Bell 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 8 #11,097 – –
2024 6 #13,737 – –
2023 7 #12,363 – –
2022 8 #11,380 – –
2021 7 #12,417 – –
2020 7 #12,355 – –
2019 – – – –
2018 14 #7,818 – –
2017 10 #10,079 – –
2016 – – – –
2015 7 #13,216 – –
2014 9 #11,122 – –
2013 5 #16,956 – –
2012 5 #17,300 – –
2011 6 #15,124 – –
2010 8 #12,453 – –
2009 8 #12,615 – –
2008 5 #17,944 – –
2007 – – – –
2006 7 #13,803 – –
2005 – – – –
2004 – – – –
2003 – – – –
2002 – – – –
2001 – – – –
2000 – – – –
1995 – – – –
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 6 #7,132 – –
1965 – – – –
1960 6 #5,754 – –
1955 5 #5,894 – –
1950 – – – –
1945 8 #3,409 – –
1940 13 #2,311 – –
1935 7 #3,453 5 #3,691
1930 22 #1,708 – –
1925 34 #1,380 – –
1920 42 #1,175 6 #3,860
1915 47 #970 13 #2,077
1910 50 #584 – –
1905 45 #506 8 #933
1900 63 #423 – –
1895 46 #417 – –
1890 61 #324 – –
1885 45 #296 – –
1880 31 #278 – –

Famous people named Bell

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

  1. 1 Bell hooks Bell hooks American author and activist (1952–2021) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Bell?

The median living Bell is about 63 years old. Half of all living Bells are between 11 and 80 years old.

How many people named Bell are alive today?

An estimated 300 people named Bell are alive in the United States, based on 2,626 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Bell mean?

A male given name transferred from the surname, of occasional usage.

How popular is the name Bell in 2025?

Bell ranked #11,097 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 8 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Bell?

2,626 babies have been named Bell in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Bell most popular?

Bell peaked in 1900, when 63 newborns received the name.

Is Bell a boy or girl name?

Bell is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 95% of babies with the name.

Is the name Bell rising or falling?

Bell has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Bell?

Well-known people named Bell include Bell hooks (writer).

Names like Bell

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

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