unisex name
Bela
- Origin Czech
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 1,557
Bela is a unisex name with 2 syllables. It is given to both girls and boys — about 67% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 21 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Bela is a name of Czech origin.
- Peaked in 2008, when 49 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 157,878 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Bela started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- First appears in US birth records in 1912.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Bela over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 73 |
| 1920s | 91 |
| 1930s | 10 |
| 1940s | 20 |
| 1950s | 47 |
| 1960s | 76 |
| 1970s | 50 |
| 1980s | 31 |
| 1990s | 64 |
| 2000s | 336 |
| 2010s | 321 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 176 |
How popular is Bela?
In 2025, Bela was given to 21 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Bela is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Bela is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Béla | Béla is a rare spelling of Bela, written with an acute accent and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Bela
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Bela also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Bela over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Bela
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Bela — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Bela
How popular is the name Bela?
In 2025, Bela was given to 21 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Bela a girl's or a boy's name?
Bela is used for both girls and boys. About 67% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Bela?
Bela has 2 syllables.
When was Bela most popular?
Bela peaked in 2008, when 49 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Bela a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Bela currently ranks #3,320 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was Bela originally a boys' or girls' name?
Bela was given mostly to boys in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to girls.