Alternatives to Bella
- Belle
Origin:
Short form of Isabelle or FrenchMeaning:
"beautiful"Description:
Belle has nothing but positive associations, from "belle of the ball" to "Southern belle" to the heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As if this weren't enough good things, Belle is also one of the most familiar and usable names that mean beautiful. Though it has been overshadowed by the Twilight-influenced Bella and longer forms like Isabella and Annabella, Belle has its own Southern charm and would make a pretty choice as a first or middle name.
- Bellona
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"fighter"Description:
A beautiful name with a combative meaning (from the Latin bellare "to fight"), belonging to a Roman goddess of war. Bellona has never appeared on the SSA list, but it could be an intriguing option for fans of the popular Belle/Bella.
- Belma
- Belphoebe
Origin:
Invented name from "The Faerie Queene"; roughly translates as "beautiful Diana"Meaning:
"beautiful Diana"Description:
The name of the character in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" whom the poet intended as a representation of Queen Elizabeth I. While it will no doubt thrill your daughter's English professor, the addition of the "Bel" to already great Phoebe is on the fussy side.
- Belva
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"beautiful view"Description:
Has a decidedly middle-aged image.
- Beulah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"married"Description:
In the Bible, Beulah is a place, not a person, applied to the land of Israel by the prophet Isaiah. The land of Beulah has sometimes been considered a reference to heaven. Beulah began to be used as a given name in England at the time of the Reformation and was used by the seventeenth century Puritans.
- Billa
- Billie
Origin:
English, diminutive of Wilhelmina, WilmaMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
Billie is a tomboy nickname name, part of the growing trend for using boyish nicknames for girls and now destined for stardom along with its most famous contemporary bearer, music sensation Billie Eilish.
- Bluebell
Origin:
Flower name from EnglishMeaning:
"blue bell"Description:
Bluebell is one flower name that is used very quietly. Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell joined her former Spice Sisters in creative baby-naming with this adventurous -- some might say outlandish -- choice. Distinctive and charming? Or better suited to a farmyard animal? Your call.
- Bluebelle
Origin:
Word name, or compound name, combining Blue and BelleDescription:
An elaboration of the word and nature name Bluebell or a combination of the names Blue and Belle, giving the meaning "beautiful blue" or "blue and beautiful". While the Bluebell is the more popular spelling, Bluebelle is given to around 20 girls in the UK each year.
- Bula
- Belette
- Bella Rose
- Calla
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"beautiful"Description:
Calla is a lily name that is much more distinctive and delicate than Lily. Rarely heard today, it did appear in the popularity lists in the last decades of the nineteenth century.
- Campbell
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"crooked mouth"Description:
This unisex name, the seventh most popular surname in Scotland, can make a more unusual Cameron alternative. It is represented on the girls' side by TV news correspondent Campbell Brown, for whom it was a family name, Brown was born Alma Dale Campbell, Alma Dale being her grandmother's name,and Campbell her mother's maiden name.
- Carla
Origin:
Feminine variation of CarlDescription:
While Charlotte and Caroline are considered stylish and classic members of the Charles family, this somewhat severe Germanic form is fading. It reached its apex at Number 76 in 1965.
- Cilla
Origin:
Diminutive of PriscillaMeaning:
"ancient"Description:
Takes the priss out of Priscilla.
- Clarabella
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"bright and beautiful"Description:
All names bella have been popular in recent years, and though Clarabella suffers from its association with Clarabelle clown and cow, it may rise as those negative images fade.
- Clella
- Della
Origin:
Diminutive of Adela, Adele or AdelaideMeaning:
"noble"Description:
Fresh, bright, and sunny, Della could be an alternative to Ella, Delilah, or Adeline. Familiar but not yet overused, it combines the elements of contemporary favorites with vintage charm.