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

Belles, 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 Belles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belles in America

Belles is the 15340th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belles surname appeared 1,912 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 Belles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belles 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 Belles

The surname Belles originates from France and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "belle," meaning "beautiful" or "fair." The name was likely initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with attractive physical features.

The earliest known record of the surname Belles can be found in the French census records from the 13th century. Some variations in spelling included Bel, Belle, and Bells. The name was particularly common in the northern regions of France, such as Normandy and Picardy.

One notable early bearer of the name was Jean Belles, a French poet and courtier who lived in the late 14th century. He is known for his work "Le Livre des Ducs de Normandie," which chronicled the history of the Dukes of Normandy.

In England, the surname Belles can be traced back to the 16th century, likely introduced by French immigrants or Huguenot refugees. The earliest recorded instance is that of William Belles, who was born in London in 1542.

During the 17th century, the name Belles was associated with several prominent figures in England. Sir Thomas Belles (1617-1689) was a member of the English Parliament and a supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. Another notable figure was John Belles (1638-1718), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Peterborough.

In the 18th century, the surname Belles gained recognition through the work of William Belles (1720-1792), an English mathematician and surveyor. He is best known for his contributions to the field of geodesy and his work on the triangulation of England.

Another individual of note was Charles Belles (1786-1857), a French painter and lithographer known for his portraits and historical paintings. He was a member of the prestigious Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

The surname Belles has also been associated with prominent figures in literature. One example is Georges Belles (1853-1914), a French novelist and playwright who wrote works that explored themes of social commentary and family dynamics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belles

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

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 Belles 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 Belles 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 Belles was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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