Belle


We are living in the age of French girls' names ending in the "elle" sound. Brielle recently ranked in the top 100 and Noelle is still rising. Isabelle and Annabelle have also been popular lately. However, there is one old-fashioned name of that type that has yet to become popular again.

Belle, as we all know, is the French word for "beautiful." It began as a short form for names ending in the "bel" sound, including Isabel, in the Middle Ages. Belle did not become a full given name until the eighteenth century, around the time when Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve published her famous fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" ("La Belle et Le Bête" in French). Belle is the name of the "beauty" in modern English adaptations, including the 1991 animated Disney film.

Belle became more common during the nineteenth century. It ranked in the American top 100 through 1884 before falling from use, leaving the top 1000 in 1935. Outlaw Belle Starr (1848-1889) also makes her name old-fashioned even though her full name was Myra Maybelle. 

Belle returned to the top 1000 from 2016 to 2020. Maybe the name is too tied to the Disney princess. Yet, the name is currently more common in England and the Netherlands. 

Parents looking for a unique single-syllable French vintage name are likely to consider Belle. It is also a fairy tale name via "Beauty and the Beast" and a rustic name via Belle Starr and the phrase "country belle."

STYLES:

French, Rustic, Vintage, Virtuous

SISTERS:

Clarice, Dove, Flora, Hattie, Lucie, Mae, Reba, Sylvie

BROTHERS:

Anton, Clement, Frost, Harlan, Jules, Major, Pierre, Roscoe

ALTERNATIVES:

Bess, Blossom, Blythe, Delta, Dolly, Fleur, Odette, Snow

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Belle." Names, Behind the Name, 21 Jan. 2022, https://www.behindthename.com/name/belle. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Belle." Names of the Week, British Baby Names, 17 Aug. 2019, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2019/08/name-of-the-week-belle.html. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

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