Total births
7,960
Girls' name · since 1881
Belva
Belva has 7,960 recorded births since 1881 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1927 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 7,960
- total births
- 1881–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
Belva is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 7,960 have been recorded since 1881.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Belva has been recorded 7,960 times among girls since 1881, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- 7,960 total births
- 1881–2025 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 21% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
7,960 girls have been named Belva since 1881, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2025.
- 7,960
- total births
- 1881–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Belva was born in this single decade.
1927
Single peak year
184 babies were named Belva in 1927 - its busiest year on record.
Belva's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Belva splits its recorded history at 1935: 40% of all births land in the more recent half, 60% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1882 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1927 peak of 184 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Belva at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1927
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1881
Belva popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1927)
- 184
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Belva by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Belva's strongest decade.
1,650 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Belva births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 259
1880s
259 births
- 1890s 319
1890s
319 births
- 1900s 505
1900s
505 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,265 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,650 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,576 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,145 births
- 1950s
1950s
766 births
- 1960s 307
1960s
307 births
- 1970s 113
1970s
113 births
- 1980s 35
1980s
35 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s 10
2000s
10 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,650 births (21% of all-time use).
How Belva 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 Belva's total volume
Belva vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Belva by state
Where Belva concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 404 | 5.1% |
| #2 | West Virginia | | 397 | 5.0% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 327 | 4.1% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 261 | 3.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 231 | 2.9% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 217 | 2.7% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 215 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Iowa | | 168 | 2.1% |
Texas share of Belva's total US births 5.1%
Even split
404 of 7,960 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 32 reporting states.
Belva appears in 32 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Belva? ▼
7,960 babies have been named Belva since 1881. It was last recorded in 2025. The peak year was 1927 with 184 births.
When was Belva most popular? ▼
Belva was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,650 total births. The single peak year was 1927.
Where is Belva most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Belva are Texas (404 births), West Virginia (397 births), Pennsylvania (327 births).
How long has the name Belva been used? ▼
Records for Belva go back to 1881, giving 145 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Belva? ▼
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 Belva's data
- Belva's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,650 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Belvas (404 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Belva
Nearby Names Like Belva
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Belva
Bella Girl
#109 83,721 births
Belinda Girl
#1722 72,960 births
Belle Girl
#1004 19,227 births
Belen Girl
#671 12,287 births
Bellamy Girl
#864 3,745 births
Compare Belva side by side: Belva vs Bella Belva vs Belinda Belva vs Belle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Belva: Baby Name Since 1881 - 7,960 Births, Peak 1927." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/belva. 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 Belva 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.