Bellus last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bellus

A Latin surname meaning "beautiful" or "handsome".

Bellus, 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 Bellus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bellus in America

Bellus is the 53419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bellus surname appeared 387 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bellus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bellus 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 53419 54152 -1.36%
Count 387 357 8.06%
Proportion per 100k 0.13 0.13 0.00%

The history of the last name Bellus

The surname Bellus has its origins in the Latin language, deriving from the word "bellus," which means "beautiful" or "pretty." This name likely originated in Italy during the Middle Ages, a time when Latin was still widely used in various regions of Europe.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bellus can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, an important collection of historical documents from the Lombard region of Italy. This document mentions a person named Petrus Bellus, suggesting that the name was already in use during that period.

The name Bellus may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to individuals who were considered attractive or handsome. Over time, it transitioned into a hereditary surname passed down through generations.

In the 14th century, the name Bellus is found in the Vattelapetra Codex, a manuscript from the city of Perugia, Italy. This document references a merchant named Giacomo Bellus, indicating that the surname was associated with individuals engaged in trade and commerce.

One notable person with the surname Bellus was Matteo Bellus, a renowned painter from the Italian Renaissance period, born in Venice around 1468. His works adorned various churches and palaces in the city, showcasing his artistic talent and the esteem associated with the Bellus name.

Another notable figure was Giovanni Battista Bellus, a 16th-century Italian philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Padua. He published several influential works on metaphysics and natural philosophy, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.

In the 17th century, the name Bellus appeared in the records of the town of Belluno, located in the Veneto region of Italy. It is possible that the surname may have derived from this place name, although the connection is not entirely clear.

Across the centuries, the Bellus surname has been associated with various professions, including artists, scholars, merchants, and members of the nobility. While the name originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by individuals and families who migrated or established themselves in new regions.

Despite its relatively uncommon nature, the surname Bellus has left a lasting legacy, appearing in historical documents and records that shed light on the cultural and social aspects of the times in which it was prominent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bellus

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

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 Bellus was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 90.96% 352
Non-Hispanic Black Only 4.65% 18
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.29% 5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 1.81% 7

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 Bellus has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 90.96% 94.96% -4.30%
Black 4.65% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.29% 1.68% -26.26%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 1.81% 1.68% 7.45%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Bellus last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 27, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bellus-surname-popularity/.

"Bellus last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bellus-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 July, 2024

Bellus last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bellus-surname-popularity/.

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