Belia
A feminine name derived from the Latin word "bellus," meaning beautiful or lovely.
Name Census estimates that about 1,085 living Americans carry the first name Belia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Belia today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Belia births was 1931 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Belia. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 315,903 Americans
Peak year
1931
51 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,701
Tracked since 1909
Popularity
Belia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Belia from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 360 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Belia 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 Belia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Belias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, California, Arizona recorded the most babies named Belia, while Arizona, California, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 486 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Belia
The name Belia has its roots in ancient Greek culture, dating back to the 5th century BC. It is derived from the Greek word "belos," which means "arrow" or "missile." The name was likely given to children with the hope that they would grow up to be swift and accurate, like an arrow.
In Greek mythology, Belia was one of the Oceanids, the three thousand daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. She was associated with the ocean and was believed to represent the salty taste of seawater. The name appears in various ancient Greek texts, including Hesiod's Theogony, which details the genealogy of the Greek gods.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Belia was a Greek lyric poet who lived in the 7th century BC. Unfortunately, little is known about her life or works, as only fragments of her poetry have survived.
In the 4th century BC, Belia was the name of a Macedonian noblewoman who was part of the court of Alexander the Great. She is mentioned in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Plutarch, who described her as a wise and influential figure.
During the Byzantine era, Belia was the name of a prominent Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD. She was persecuted for her faith and eventually executed, becoming a revered figure in the early Christian church.
In the Middle Ages, Belia was the name of a French noblewoman who lived in the 12th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of troubadours, the poet-musicians of the time.
Another notable figure with the name Belia was an Italian Renaissance painter who lived in the 15th century. She was one of the few female artists to achieve recognition during that era, known for her portraits and religious works.
People
Belia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Belia 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
Belia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Belia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,085 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Belia 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 315,903 US residents.
Is Belia a common name?
We classify Belia as "Rare". It ranks above 90.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,058 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Belia most popular?
The single biggest year for Belia was 1931, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Belia is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Belia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Belia 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.