Find out how popular the last name Belle is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Belle.

Belle, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Belle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belle in America

Belle is the 7796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belle surname appeared 4,246 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Belle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belle to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Belle

The surname Belle is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "belle" meaning "beautiful" or "fair." It dates back to the medieval period, when it was likely first used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone with attractive physical features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Belle can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Radulfus Belle in Nottinghamshire, England. This suggests that the name had already been established in France and brought over to England by the Norman conquest in 1066.

In the 12th century, the name Belle appeared in various forms, such as Bele, Bel, and Bella, in records from different regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and Île-de-France. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and spelling conventions.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Belle was also associated with certain place names, such as Bellerive (meaning "beautiful shore") and Bellevue (meaning "beautiful view"). This connection indicates that some individuals may have taken the surname Belle based on their place of origin or residence.

One notable figure with the surname Belle was Jean-Baptiste Belle, a French engraver and publisher who lived from 1704 to 1786. He is known for his intricate engravings and illustrations, particularly those depicting scenes from classical mythology.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Françoise Belle, a French painter and engraver who lived from 1723 to 1799. She was renowned for her portraits and historical paintings, and her works are featured in several museums across Europe.

In the 19th century, the surname Belle gained recognition through the work of Marie-Guillemine Benoist, née Belle (1768-1826), a French painter and one of the few women admitted to the prestigious Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture.

Étienne-Prosper Belle (1806-1886) was a French dramatist and playwright who wrote several successful comedies and vaudevilles during the 19th century.

Lastly, Georges Belle (1830-1909) was a French architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the redesign and modernization of Paris during the Second Empire under Napoleon III.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belle

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Belle.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Belle was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Belle has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Belle was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Belle, please contact us.

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