Belladonna
A feminine name of Italian origin meaning "beautiful lady".
Name Census estimates that about 431 living Americans carry the first name Belladonna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Belladonna today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Belladonna births was 2009 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Belladonna. 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
431
~ 1 in 795,254 Americans
Peak year
2009
31 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,160
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Belladonna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Belladonna from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 207 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Belladonna remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Belladonna 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 Belladonna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Belladonnas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Belladonna
Belladonna is a feminine given name derived from the Italian words "bella" meaning beautiful and "donna" meaning lady. The name has its origins in the Renaissance period of Italy, where it was used to refer to the poisonous plant known as deadly nightshade or belladonna.
The name gained popularity during this time as the plant was believed to have mystical properties and was used in various potions and elixirs. The belladonna plant was also known for its ability to dilate the pupils, giving the eyes a striking appearance, which was considered attractive in Renaissance Italy.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Belladonna can be found in the writings of the Italian philosopher and writer Girolamo Cardano (1501-1576). In his treatise "De Subtilitate Rerum," he mentioned a woman named Belladonna who was believed to be a skilled practitioner of the dark arts.
Another notable figure with the name Belladonna was the Italian painter and artist's model Belladonna Tiziana (1508-1576). She was renowned for her beauty and was often depicted in the works of the famous Venetian painter Titian.
In the 17th century, the name Belladonna appeared in the writings of the English playwright and poet John Webster (1580-1634). In his tragic play "The Duchess of Malfi," one of the characters is named Belladonna, possibly as a reference to the poisonous plant.
A more recent historical figure with the name Belladonna was the Italian actress and singer Belladonna Barzizza (1873-1936). She was a prominent figure in the Italian theater scene during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Another notable Belladonna was the American burlesque performer and model Belladonna (born Michelle Anne Sinclair, 1981). She rose to prominence in the adult film industry in the early 2000s and was known for her distinctive gothic and fetish-inspired style.
While the name Belladonna has its roots in Renaissance Italy, it has since been adopted and used in various cultures and regions around the world, often associated with themes of beauty, mystery, and sometimes even danger.
People
Belladonna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Belladonna 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
Belladonna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Belladonna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 431 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Belladonna 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 795,254 US residents.
Is Belladonna a common name?
We classify Belladonna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 435 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Belladonna most popular?
The single biggest year for Belladonna was 2009, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Belladonna is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Belladonna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Belladonna 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.