Belem
A feminine name of Portuguese origin meaning "Bethlehem".
Name Census estimates that about 286 living Americans carry the first name Belem. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Belem today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Belem births was 1999 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Belem. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
286
~ 1 in 1,198,442 Americans
Peak year
1999
19 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,647
Tracked since 1951
Popularity
Belem: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Belem from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 108 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Belem remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Belem by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Belem during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Belems live
Origin
Meaning and history of Belem
The given name Belem has its roots in the Hebrew language and culture, originating as early as the 6th century BC. It is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word "belem," which means "to swallow" or "to engulf." This name was particularly popular among Jewish communities in ancient times.
In the biblical Book of Jeremiah, there is a reference to a place called Belem, which some scholars believe is the origin of the name. However, the exact connection between the place and the name remains uncertain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Belem can be found in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism. In the Talmud, Belem is mentioned as the name of a sage who lived during the 3rd century AD.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Belem. One of the most famous was Belem ibn Buhtishu (940-1058 AD), a renowned physician and philosopher from Baghdad, Iraq, who made significant contributions to the fields of medicine and philosophy during the Golden Age of Islam.
Another prominent figure was Belem Abrão (1564-1628), a Jewish merchant and diplomat from Portugal who played a crucial role in establishing trade relations between the Netherlands and the Ottoman Empire in the early 17th century.
In the realm of literature, Belem Vieira (1927-2018) was a celebrated Brazilian poet and writer known for her lyrical and evocative works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
In the world of sports, Belem Guerrero (1934-2005) was a Mexican professional baseball player who had a successful career in the Mexican League, playing for several teams during the 1950s and 1960s.
Lastly, Belem Aubert (1842-1909) was a French painter and printmaker who gained recognition for her portraits and landscapes, and her works are now part of prestigious collections in museums across Europe.
While the name Belem has its origins in ancient Hebrew culture, it has been embraced and used across various regions and communities throughout history, highlighting the diverse and rich tapestry of human civilization.
People
Belem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Belem as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Belem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Belem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 286 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Belem going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,198,442 US residents.
Is Belem a common name?
We classify Belem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 296 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Belem most popular?
The single biggest year for Belem was 1999, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Belem is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Belem a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Belem in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.