girl's name
Bluebell
BLOO-bel (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 587
Bluebell is a girl's name taken from the woodland flower, a compound of the English words blue and bell. The plant name dates to the sixteenth century, and as a first name it's almost entirely a choice of parents in England and Wales.
- Bluebell is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2017, when 46 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 21,078 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1998.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Bluebell Over Time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 4 |
| 2000s | 87 |
| 2010s | 322 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 171 |
What Bluebell Means
Bluebell means the flower itself, named for its drooping, bell-shaped blue blooms. The name evokes English woods in spring, when the flowers carpet the ground in a haze of blue.
Where Bluebell Comes From
Bluebell joins the adjective blue and the noun bell, and the compound is recorded from the 1570s as a popular name for several plants with bell-shaped flowers. The English woodland flower belongs to the genus Hyacinthoides, though Scots use the word for the harebell. Blue itself reached English from Old French, while bell is an Old English word. As a first name Bluebell joined the wider vogue for flower names such as Poppy, Daisy and Primrose. It stayed fairly rare, partly because it has always sounded playful, but that same quality has made it attractive to some recent parents.
Bluebell in Use
The best-known bearer of the nickname was Margaret Kelly, the Irish dancer called Miss Bluebell, who founded the Bluebell Girls troupe in Paris. Bluebell woods are a cherished sight of the English spring.
How Popular Is Bluebell?
In 2025, Bluebell was given to 25 babies in England and Wales. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Bluebell Is Used
Figures for England and Wales leave out any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Bluebell
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Bluebell Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Bluebell over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Bluebell
- English BLOO-bel
2 nicknames for Bluebell
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Bluebell in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Bell
Sibling Names for Bluebell
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Bluebell — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Bluebell
What does the name Bluebell mean?
It's the name of the woodland flower, from the English words blue and bell.
Is Bluebell a real name?
Yes. It's a rare but established flower name, used mainly in England and Wales.
What nicknames go with Bluebell?
Bella and Belle are natural short forms.
How popular is the name Bluebell?
In 2025, Bluebell was given to 25 babies in England and Wales. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Bluebell a girl's or a boy's name?
Bluebell is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Bluebell?
Bluebell has 2 syllables.
When was Bluebell most popular?
Bluebell peaked in 2017, when 46 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Bluebell a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Bluebell currently ranks #1,272 in England and Wales. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.