Alternatives to Bella

Bella originated as a nickname for Isabella, or other -bella names, but has risen in her own right a la Ella and Stella. Here are some alternatives!
  1. Abella
    • Origin:

      French, meaning 'breath'
    • Description:

      A pretty name heard in the Louisiana Cajun community, Abella would fit right in with all the other, more familiar, bella names.
  2. Adabella
    • Origin:

      Combination of Ada and Bella, German, Turkish, and French
    • Meaning:

      "noble and beautiful, or beautiful island"
    • Description:

      Ada is one of those names found in two different languages with two different meanings. As a German name, it means noble or nobility, and as a Turkish name, it means island.
  3. Adela
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      A vibrant variation of Adele, with a bit of extra flair from that "-a" ending. It could join the army of popular A girls' names, especially with its tie to the success of singer Adele.
  4. Annabella
    • Origin:

      Latin variation of Annabel
    • Meaning:

      "loving"
    • Description:

      With the ascent of all names -ella, and even -bella, we predict that Annabella will rise as an alternative for such favorites as Isabella and Angelina. It's possible to spell the name Anabella. Annabel -- along with Anabel, Annabelle, Anabelle, and Annabell -- are potential alternatives.
  5. Baila
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "dance"
    • Description:

      An offbeat approach to Bella. Also a Yiddish form of Bilhah, one of the four women who gave birth to the tribes of Israel.
  6. Bailey
    • Origin:

      Occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "law enforcer, bailiff"
    • Description:

      Bailey -- a jaunty surname -- was first used for a female TV character in 1978 in the show WKRP in Cincinnaati, then caught on big time. Bailey's still an appealing choice, though, and a celebrity fave. Parents of daughters named Bailey include Scot Baio and Stella McCartney.
  7. Bailou
    • Balia
      • Origin:

        Italian
      • Meaning:

        "to be at the mercy of"
      • Description:

        A unique cousin to Talia.
    • Ballou
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "from Bellou"
      • Description:

        Unusual surname with rowdy quality.
    • Balou
      • Bayla
        • Baylor
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "horse trainer"
          • Description:

            Baylor is a possible occupational alternative to the tired Taylor, especially for a horse lover.
        • Becca
          • Origin:

            Diminutive of Rebecca
          • Meaning:

            "servant of God"
          • Description:

            The currently preferred replacement for Becky, sometimes used on its own.
        • Belen
          • Origin:

            Spanish place name
          • Description:

            Actually the Spanish name for Bethlehem, which means "house of bread," this name is high on Spain's popularity list and is rising in the US as well. Though this is one of the Spanish names for girls that has not for the most part crossed over to the English-speaking population, that could change thanks to its similarity to the popular Belle or Bella.
        • Belia
          • Origin:

            Spanish variation of Bella
          • Description:

            Pretty and unusual translation of Bella.
        • Belinda
          • Origin:

            Spanish or German
          • Meaning:

            "pretty one, or, serpent"
          • Description:

            Belinda, cousin of Linda and Melinda, enjoyed a brief return to the Top 1000 from 2005 through 2013, only to fall off again in 2014. A name that some may consider a modern spin on the midcentury popularity queen Linda is in fact a classic with deep and fascinating roots. In Babylonian mythology Belinda was the goddess of heaven and earth, and the name later was used for the heroine of Alexander Pope's satirical poem The Rape of the Lock.
        • Belissa
          • Origin:

            Modern invented name
          • Description:

            Combination of sounds from Bella / Belinda and Melissa. The counterpart to Melinda, if you will.
        • Belita
          • Origin:

            Spanish and Basque diminutive of Isabella, Italian
          • Meaning:

            "pledged to God; beautiful"
          • Description:

            A nickname for Bella or Isabella, from Isabelita.
        • Bellamy
          • Origin:

            English and Irish from French
          • Meaning:

            "fine friend"
          • Description:

            Bellamy is emerging as an up-and-coming girls' name, an Irish surname-y riff on the super-popular Bella series of names. While the Bella connection makes Bellamy sound a little trendier and more popular than it really is, we see the name possibly rising through the ranks for both genders in the coming years.
        • Bellatrix
          • Origin:

            Latin
          • Meaning:

            "female warrior"
          • Description:

            J.K. Rowling is a modern master of naming who brought a whole constellation of ancient and celestial names to modern parents. Bellatrix, of one of the stars of Orion, combines fashionable names Bella and Beatrix to make a convivial and original name. The down side: the Harry Potter character Bellatrix, played by Helena Bonham Carter, is a character so evil she's called a Death Eater, killing one beloved character and being murdered by another. And the name Bellatrix is so closely associated with that character that it might be challenging to sidestep the association.