Belle and Bella Names

Cybele

Greek

"the mother of all gods"

The Anatolian mother goddess Cybele had a place in Greek, Roman, Trojan, and Anatolian mythology. Today, she has special meaning as a symbol of gender nonconformity. In ancient Rome, Cybele's cult…

Dulcibella

Latin

"sweet and pretty"

Dulcibella is an old name that's fallen into disuse but may rise again with the new wave of fashionable names that end in -bel, -belle, and -bella. Behind the Name says that the medieval form of the…

Elizabella

English combination of Eliza + Bella

"pledged to God + beautiful"

Elizabella is a much more obscure smoosh than sisters Isabella and Annabelle, but the megapopularity of Isabella may give this unusual combo name a boost.

Fransabelle

Fransabelle is an elegant feminine name that combines elements of Frances (meaning "free one" from Germanic origins) and the French-inspired suffix "belle" meaning beautiful. This combination creates…

Gabella

Gabella is a feminine name with possible Italian or Latinate origins. It may be derived from 'Gabriella,' a feminine form of Gabriel (meaning 'God is my strength'), or potentially from Italian…

Ishbel

Ishbel is a traditional Scottish feminine name derived from the Gaelic form of Isabel or Isabella. With roots in Hebrew, its ultimate meaning connects to 'God is my oath' or 'pledged to God.'…

Isobel

Scottish variation of Isabel

"pledged to God"

The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like…

Jacobella

Jacobella is a feminine name derived from Jacoba, the female form of Jacob, which has Hebrew origins meaning 'supplanter' or 'holder of the heel.' This elaborate, lyrical variation emerged primarily…

Jezebel

Hebrew

"not exalted"

Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab in the Hebrew Book of Kings, has long had a bad girl reputation. But in the modern secular world, this is somewhat mitigated by the feminist perspective of her as a…

Lulabelle

English combination of Lula and Belle

"famous beauty"

Cutesy combination of Lula and Belle. Lula is a short form of names starting with the "Lu" sound, which may derive from Germanic hlud "famous", and Belle is French for "beautiful".

Mabella

Mabella is a beautiful feminine name with multiple possible origins. It could be a variant of Mabel, which comes from the Latin 'amabilis' meaning 'lovable,' or it might be related to the French 'ma…

Marbella

Spanish place name

"beautiful sea"

The name of the resort city on Spain's Costa del Sol is pronounced mar-BAY-a, setting it apart from the bella-name competition -- though many English speakers won't realize that. And it probably…

Maribel

English combination of Mary and Bel, or Spanish short form of María Isabel, "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + beautiful"

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + beautiful"

This modern name gathers some steam from the wildly popular Isabel. The meaning of Mary is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter"…

Maribella

English, combination of Mary and Bella

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + beautiful"

Frilly but undeniably beautiful. The meaning of Mary is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and…

Maybelle

Variation of Mabel; combination of May and Belle; "loveable"

"loveable"

This spelling variation of Mabel clears up the pronunciation — "may-belle", as opposed to "may-bull". Maybelle is packed with Southern charm, and like sister name Mabel is on the rise, but still on a…

Mehitabel

Hebrew

"God rejoices"

Most famously, the name of a 1920s alley cat.

Melibella

Melibella is a rare feminine name combining elements of 'Meli' (possibly from Greek 'meli' meaning honey) and 'bella' (beautiful in Italian and Latin). This compound name evokes sweetness and beauty…

Miabella

Combination of Mia and Bella

"my beautiful"

Two popular contemporary choices merged into one, this compound name with its hint of Italian flair was given to nearly 70 girls in the US and 3 in the UK. With Mia's entry into the US Top 10,…

Mirabel

Latin

"wonderful"

Mirabel is one of those names that's not on the Top 1000 but ought to be, and undoubtedly will be soon following the release of Disney's 2021 Encanto . Mirabel is the film's quirky and highly…

Mirabella

Italian variation of Mirabelle

"wonderful"

The short-lived magazine edited by former Vogue chief Grace Mirabella put this beautiful name off-limits for a while, but now it's perfectly fit to join the fashionable Bella pantheon. More…