Total births
2,496
Unisex name · since 1880
Bell
Bell has 2,496 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1900 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #13480
- among girls today
- 2,496
- born since 1880
- 1890s
- peak decade
- 24%
- more common than other girls
Bell currently ranks #13480 among unisex names in America, with 2,496 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bell has been recorded 2,496 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #13480 nationally and more common than 24% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1890s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #13480 among girls today
- 2,496 born since 1880
- 1890s peak decade
- 24% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bell is currently the #13480 unisex name in America, more common than 24% of girls - 2,496 born since 1880, peaking in the 1890s.
- #13480
- among girls today
- 2,496
- born since 1880
- 1890s
- peak decade
- 24%
- more common than other girls
Bell vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#13480
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 24% of names given to girls today.
1890s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Bell was born in this single decade.
1900
Single peak year
63 babies were named Bell in 1900 - its busiest year on record.
How Bell compares
2,496 Top 19% higher than 81% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Bell's all-time total is 7x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bell | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,496 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 63 | 48 | 19,840 |
Bell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Bell splits its recorded history at 1929: 17% of all births land in the more recent half, 83% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1943 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1900 peak of 63 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Bell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1900
Current rank
#13,480
Active since
1880
Bell popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1900)
- 63
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Bell popularity over time - boys
130 total births recorded since 1905 (Bell as boys' name)
Bell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1890s was Bell's strongest decade.
511 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Bell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
416 births
- 1890s
1890s
511 births
- 1900s
1900s
418 births
- 1910s
1910s
450 births
- 1920s
1920s
290 births
- 1930s 125
1930s
125 births
- 1940s 84
1940s
84 births
- 1950s 46
1950s
46 births
- 1960s 18
1960s
18 births
- 1970s 11
1970s
11 births
- 2000s 20
2000s
20 births
- 2010s 64
2010s
64 births
- 2020s 43
2020s
43 births
What this shows Peak: 1890s at 511 births (20% of all-time use).
How Bell compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Bell's total volume
Bell vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Bell by state
Where Bell concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 64 | 2.6% |
| #2 | South Carolina | | 42 | 1.7% |
| #3 | Mississippi | | 30 | 1.2% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 26 | 1.0% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 12 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 12 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 11 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 10 | 0.4% |
Georgia share of Bell's total US births 2.6%
Even split
64 of 2,496 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Bell appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bell? ▼
Bell has been given to 2,496 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #13480 as of the latest data. 63 babies were born in 1900, its single highest year.
When was Bell most popular? ▼
Bell was most popular in the 1890s decade with 511 total births. The single peak year was 1900.
Where is Bell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bell are Georgia (64 births), South Carolina (42 births), Mississippi (30 births).
Is Bell a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Bell is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 2,496 births, and as a boy's name it has 130 births.
How long has the name Bell been used? ▼
Bell has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Bell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bella, Belinda, Belle, Belen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Bell's data
- Bell's decade-level peak was the 1890s (511 total births); usage has since declined to 43 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Bells (64 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bell
Nearby Names Like Bell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bell
Bella Girl
#109 83,721 births
Belinda Girl
#1722 72,960 births
Belle Girl
#1004 19,227 births
Belen Girl
#671 12,287 births
Belva Girl
7,960 births
Compare Bell side by side: Bell vs Bella Bell vs Belinda Bell vs Belle
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bell
Vina #13479
5,267 births · Peak 1920
Leota #13481
10,447 births · Peak 1918
Willie #13478
146,197 births · Peak 1919
Orpha #13482
5,974 births · Peak 1917
Maud #13477
13,159 births · Peak 1886
Harriette #13483
8,740 births · Peak 1917
Zyomi #13476
19 births · Peak 2025
Dona #13484
18,857 births · Peak 1954
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bell: #13480 Unisex Name - 2,496 Births, Peak 1900." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bell. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bell draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.