Bellarae
A name of uncertain origin, possibly a blend meaning "beautiful ray".
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the first name Bellarae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Bellarae today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bellarae births was 2016 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bellarae. 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
119
~ 1 in 2,880,289 Americans
Peak year
2016
11 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#15,618
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Bellarae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bellarae 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 68 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Bellarae remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bellarae 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 Bellarae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bellarae
The given name Bellarae has its origins in the ancient Etruscan civilization, which flourished in what is now modern-day Italy. It is derived from the Etruscan words "bel" meaning beautiful and "rae" meaning moon, thus signifying "beautiful moon" or "lovely moonlight". This name was commonly used among the Etruscan nobility and aristocracy during the 6th to 3rd centuries BCE.
Bellarae finds mentions in various Etruscan inscriptions and texts, including the famous Pyrgi Tablets, which were dedicatory gold plates discovered in a sanctuary near the ancient Etruscan city of Caere. These tablets, dating back to around 500 BCE, contain religious inscriptions and prayers, suggesting that the name Bellarae held cultural and spiritual significance in Etruscan society.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Bellarae was a prominent Etruscan noblewoman from the city of Veii, who lived in the 5th century BCE. Her name appears on a terracotta funerary urn, indicating her high social standing and the importance of preserving her identity in the afterlife.
In the 3rd century BCE, a renowned Etruscan sculptor named Bellarae gained recognition for her intricate and lifelike representations of deities and mythological scenes. Her works, which were highly sought after by the wealthy and influential, can still be found in various museums and private collections worldwide.
During the Roman era, the name Bellarae continued to be used, albeit with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. In the 1st century CE, a Roman poetess named Bellara gained acclaim for her lyrical compositions and was praised by renowned writers such as Ovid and Martial.
Another notable figure was Bellaria, a Roman noblewoman who lived in the 2nd century CE. She was known for her philanthropy and patronage of the arts, supporting numerous artists and writers during her lifetime.
In the Middle Ages, the name Bellarae resurfaced in various regions of Europe, including Italy, France, and Spain. One notable example is Bellaraye de Montfort, a 12th-century French noblewoman and crusader who accompanied her husband on the Third Crusade to the Holy Land.
While the name Bellarae has undergone transformations and variations across different cultures and time periods, its Etruscan roots and the meaning of "beautiful moon" or "lovely moonlight" have endured, making it a unique and evocative choice for a given name.
People
Bellarae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bellarae 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
Bellarae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bellarae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 119 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bellarae 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 2,880,289 US residents.
Is Bellarae a common name?
We classify Bellarae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 120 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bellarae most popular?
The single biggest year for Bellarae was 2016, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bellarae is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bellarae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bellarae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bellarae 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.
Is Bellarae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bellarae in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bellarae can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Bellarae?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.