In 2012, I identified Bella as one of the hot combining names of this generation -- a name that parents love to mix and match with other sounds to build new names. Traditional choices like Isabella and Annabella were just the tip of the iceberg. Creative combos like Elizabella and Bellarose were springing up by the dozen.
In the two years since I wrote that post, the "bell" creativity has only grown. Last year, 146 different "bell" names were chosen for at least five newborn American girls. I wanted to find a way to present that amazing flowering of style around a single sound.
While data visualization and statistical analysis are my usual tools for describing name trends, this time I've decided to put aside graphs and summaries. Nothing can tell the tale of these names better than the names themselves.
Below are all 146 "bell" names. Remember that these aren't isolated examples; each name represents a minimum of five babies born last year alone.
Aarabella
Abella
Adabella
Adabelle
Aerabella
Airabella
Amabella
Amabelle
Anabell
Anabella
Anabelle
Annabell
Annabella
Annabelle
Annabellee
Annabellelee
Annebelle
Annibella
Annibelle
Arabella
Arabellah
Arabelle
Arbella
Ariabella
Aribella
Aribelle
Arrabella
Arybella
Avabella
Ayrabella
Bell
Bella
Belladonna
Bellagrace
Bellah
Bellaluna
Bellamarie
Bellamie
Bellamy
Bellanie
Bellany
Bellarae
Bellarose
Bellatrix
Belle
Bellina
Bellissa
Cabella
Cambelle
Campbell
Carabella
Christabella
Christabelle
Clarabella
Clarabelle
Corabella
Corabelle
Cristabella
Elisabella
Elizabella
Elizabelle
Emmabelle
Erabella
Esabella
Ezabella
Giabella
Hannabella
Isabell
Isabella
Isabellah
Isabellamarie
Isabellarose
Isabelle
Isbella
Isobella
Isobelle
Issabella
Issabelle
Iszabella
Itzabella
Izabell
Izabella
Izabellah
Izabelle
Izahbella
Izebella
Izibella
Izsabella
Izybella
Izzabell
Izzabella
Izzabelle
Izzibella
Jazabelle
Jazzabella
Jessabelle
Jezabell
Jezabella
Jezabelle
Jezebelle
Kabella
Kampbell
Kimbella
Kristabella
Kristabelle
Krystabella
Kymbella
Labella
Labelle
Leabella
Lilybelle
Lisabella
Lizabella
Lizabelle
Lunabella
Lunabelle
Mabelle
Maebelle
Marabella
Marabelle
Marbella
Mariabella
Maribell
Maribella
Maribelle
Marybell
Marybella
Maybelle
Maybelline
Miabella
Miaisabella
Mirabell
Mirabella
Mirabelle
Rosabella
Rosabelle
Rosebella
Sabella
Sarabella
Sebella
Sophiaisabelle
Sybella
Ysabella
Ysabelle
Yzabella
Zabella