Bella
- Pronunciation
- [BEL-uh]
- IPA
- /ˈbɛl.ə/
- Gender
- Female
- Meaning
- Short form of Isabella; associated with Italian bella, “beautiful”
- Origin
- English name with an Italian word association
Bella is an English short form of Isabella and other names ending in -bella. It is also associated with Italian bella, “beautiful.” The usual English pronunciation is BEL-uh.
About Bella
The Italian adjective explains Bella’s “beautiful” association. Isabella is a form of Isabel in the Elizabeth name family, whose Hebrew source means “my God is an oath.” That meaning belongs to the older full-name family; bella as an Italian adjective means “beautiful.”
Sources & Verification
- Bella meaning, variants, and IPA: Behind the Name
- Isabella name family: Behind the Name
- Elizabeth etymology: Behind the Name
- Italian bello and bella: Cambridge Dictionary
Evidence reviewed 2026-09-24.
Variant Forms
Bell and Belle are documented English variants. Isabella is a longer source name, not an alternate spelling.
Similar Names
Bella in NYC dog-license records
Ranks are within each NYC license extract, not national puppy rankings. Each row in the source is a license period, so a dog renewed within the same extract year can be counted more than once. These are record counts, not counts of unique dogs. The 2026 extract was retrieved on 2026-09-24.
| Extract year | Rank | Licensed records | Source | Retrieved / reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #1 | 1254 | NYC Open Data | 2026-09-24 |
| 2017 | #1 | 852 | NYC Open Data | 2026-09-24 |
| 2018 | #1 | 817 | NYC Open Data | 2026-09-24 |
| 2022 | #1 | 2776 | NYC Open Data | 2026-09-24 |
| 2023 | #2 | 1134 | NYC Open Data | 2026-09-24 |
| 2024 | #2 | 1075 | NYC Open Data | 2026-09-24 |
| 2026 | #2 | 991 | NYC Open Data | 2026-09-24 |
Practical Use Check
Spelling check
Ask a clinic or groomer to repeat and spell the name before printing a tag or medication label. B-E-L-L-A distinguishes it from the documented variants Bell and Belle.