Girl Names Starting with B: Bella, Brynn, Beatrice

Girl names starting with B run the gamut. There’s (literally) pretty Bella and Belle, place names like Brooklyn, and borrowed-from-the-boys Billie and Blake.

Brittany might be the quintessential 90s name, thanks to Ms. Spears – who spells it Britney.

Long before Brittany came Beth – remember the power ballad? And Barbara, a smash hit song, iconic Barbie doll, and name of more women than any of us can count.

The letter B currently ranks twelfth out of 26 first initials in the US.

Let’s dive into to all of the beautiful and bold girl names starting with B.

TOP 1000 GIRL NAMES BEGINNING WITH B

BROOKLYN (#72)

A place name that picks up on earlier favorite Brooke, with the popular -lyn ending, plus a dash of urban sensibility.

BELLA (#85)

Isabella is more popular, yes. But just Bella fits right in with Ella and Stella, a name sound that defines a generation.

BRIELLE (#115)

It might be short for Gabrielle, though Brielle owes something to Brianna, too.

BLAKELY (#167)

Blakely debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2011, a feminine spin on surname name Blake.

BRYNLEE (#171)

Brynlee is either a creative spelling of surname Brinley, or a Brynn-Lee mash-up. Either way, it’s racing up the charts.

BAILEY (#182)

A bright and energetic surname name, Bailey was another 90s breakout hit.

BRIANNA (#184)

Speaking of Brianna, this feminine form of Brian caught on like wildfire in the 1980s and 90s. It’s still enjoying some popularity.

BLAKE (#200)

Speaking of celebrities, Blake Lively helped put Blake on the list of possibilities for our daughters.

BROOKE (#269)

Brooke feels one-part nature name; two-parts tailored traditional for girls. Credit for the latter goes to Brooke Astor, and especially 1980s celebrity Brooke Shields.

BLAIR (#282)

A tailored surname name, Blair is just one sound removed from classic Claire. It’s also boosted by the small screen, from The Facts of Life to Gossip Girl. 

BRIELLA (#350)

Drop the first syllable from recent chart-topper Gabriella and you’ll have just Briella, a pretty name that stands on its own.

BROOKLYNN (#358)

Brooklynn is a little less New York borough, slightly more name-like.

BRYNN (#388)

A Welsh name meaning hill, Brynn tends to be feminine in the US, a name in the key of Sloane, Blair, and Quinn.

BIANCA (#426)

Bianca sounds glamorous, maybe because Nicaraguan-born socialite-turned-activist Bianca Jagger introduced it to the English-speaking world in the 1970s.

BRINLEY (#451)

A surname name that feels just on the right side of feminine, thanks to so many girls named Brynn and all those -ley ending favorites.

BRISTOL (#512)

A place name borrowed from England, Bristol first caught parents’ attention after the oldest daughter of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin became reality stars.

BONNIE (#529)

A sweet nickname name, Bonnie is a Scottish nickname meaning pretty. Parents today might think of it as a child from the Toy Story series. (She inherits Andy’s toys when he goes off to college.)

BRIAR (#533)

A nature name that also brings to mind another name for the fairytale Sleeping Beauty: Briar Rose.

BRIANA (#539)

One of several possible spellings for the long time favorite Brianna.

BEATRICE (#555)

Traditional Beatrice reigns as a literary favorite, thanks to Dante’s Divine Comedy.

BLAIRE (#562)

Blair, influenced by Claire.

BRAELYNN (#574)

Recently coined, Braelynn mashes up all sorts of popular sounds to create an on-trend possibility in the key of Kaylin and similar.

BETHANY (#666)

Bethany owes something to Elizabeth, and a little bit to Brittany, too. But this Biblical place name feels less trendy, and more like a traditional rarity.

BELEN (#742)

A Spanish name, Belen is properly spelled Belén. It’s from the Spanish name for the city of Bethlehem, making this a place name – and a spiritually significant one, too.

BRYNLEIGH (#751)

Brynlee is more popular, but the -leigh ending works just as well.

BEXLEY (#756)

Yet another inventive B-ley surname name, this one with roots on the map.

BAYLEE (#768)

A Bailey-Kaylee hybrid.

BRIDGET (#791)

An Irish goddess name, and later the name of a revered saint, Bridget feels traditional. And yet, it’s never entered the US Top 100.

BIRDIE (#803)

We love Wren and other bird names for girls, so Birdie seems like a natural.

BAYLOR (#810)

Bay plus Taylor, combined for a name with ties to a Texas university.

BERKLEY (#820)

The storied California city spells it with an extra ‘e’ – Berkeley. But this is the more popular choice for a child’s name.

BRITTANY (#848)

A chart-topping favorite from an earlier era, Brittany originally comes from the name of a region in northwestern France.

BRAELYN (#865)

Braelynn with one fewer N.

BRIA (#869)

A short form of Brianna, or maybe a feminine twist on brio, meaning spirit or vigor.

BAILEE (#887)

The third spelling of upbeat surname name Bailey on the list.

BELLAMY (#897)

A surname name with a great meaning – beautiful friend – Bellamy’s Bell sound makes it a natural possibility for a daughter.

BRYLEE (#945)

Another creative entry on the list of B baby girl names.

BILLIE (#949)

Boyish Billie has long been used for girls, either as a feminine form of William, or as a casual name in the key of Millie and Molly.

BARBARA (#976)

A Top Ten favorite from the 1920s into the 50s, traditional and international Barbara had a good run. Is it too soon to call it vintage? Maybe … but give it another decade or two, and that will almost certainly change.

BELLE (#977)

Sparer than Bella, Belle is a Disney princess – and so far, much less common than the -a ending form.

RARE GIRL NAMES BEGINNING WITH B

BABETTE

Fanciful French nickname for Elisabeth, associated with Oscar-winning 1987 film Babette’s Feast.

BASIA

Pronounced like Basha, this is a Polish nickname for Barbara. Polish singer Basia scored a few singles in the US in the late 1980s and early 1990s, briefly raising the profile of this name. (Her biggest hit was probably “Cruising for Bruising” in 1990.)

BATHSHEBA

In the Old Testament name, Bathsheba is the mother of Solomon.

BAY

A water name, every bit as wearable as River. One of the main characters in ABC Family’s Switched at Birth, which ran from 2011 to 2017, was named Bay.

BEA

Short for Beatrice and Beatrix, Bea might also stand alone. It would also fit with middle names like Kay.

BEATA

Scandi and Slavic name meaning blessed. Pronounce it with three syllables: beh AH tah.

BEATRIX

Beatrix-with-an-x brings to mind Peter Rabbit’s creator, writer, illustrator and naturalist, Beatrix Potter.

BEGONIA

As in the flower, or possibly the Spanish place name Begoña, now part of Bilbao. It is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to the local people there in the 1500s, making this name religious as well as botanical.

BELINAY

Turkish name meaning “reflection of the moon on the lake.” It has ranked in the Top 50 girls’ names in Turkey in recent years.

BELINDA

A lovely, romantic name made famous by poet Alexander Pope in 1712.

BELLATRIX

If only the Harry Potter villain weren’t so irredeemable, this Bella-Beatrix smoosh could be big. It means “female warrior” in Latin.

BELLONA

The Roman goddess of war.

BELPHOEBE

A borrowing from Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, and a Belle-Phoebe combination that seems very wearable.

BENEDETTA

The Italian feminine form of Benedict. Names like Benedicta and Benedikte are heard in other languages.

BENIGNA

Romance language rarity with an appealing meaning: kind.

BENITA

It looks like Bonita respelling, but Benita is the feminine equivalent of Benito.

BERENICE

An ancient name ultimately derived from the Greek, “bearing victory.” Berenice became Bernice in the New Testament, and it’s also the forerunner of Veronica.

BERNADETTE

A vintage gem associated with a saint, Bernadette might be the next vintage revival name.

BERYL

A green gemstone name, tailored and with a long history of use, but quite rare today.

BESS

Another long-time nickname for Elizabeth, Bess feels like a logical successor to Tess.

BETH

A haunting Kiss ballad, and another Elizabeth nickname that’s not heard often today.

BETHSABEE

Another form of Bathsheba, used in French as well as Latin.

BETONY

An herbal name as appealing as Sage. If unique baby girl names appeal, Betony might be exactly right.

BETSELOT

A lovely Amharic name, Betselot brings to mind so many Bet- names for girls.

BETSY

Another short form of Elizabeth, with a sparky, throwback quality.

BETTINA

An Elizabeth nickname, Bettina sounds antique and delicate.

BETTY

A Top Ten name from the 1920s into the 40s, Betty has long been in hibernation. But a Taylor Swift song – and the Blake Lively-Ryan Reynolds daughter it names – might just change that.

BEULAH

An Old Testament name with a long history of us, Beulah is so far out in 2022 that maybe it’s nearly ready for revival?

BEVERLY

A place name turned masculine given name, and eventually a twentieth century favorite for girls. Today, the similar Everly is popular, while Beverly is stuck in style limbo.

BIJOU

A French word meaning jewel, an alternative to sparkling Gemma.

BITHIAH

This Old Testament name is often associated with a significant figure: the pharaoh’s daughter who spotted the baby Moses floating in the river, and raised him as her own.

BLANCHE

The French form of the name, Blanche means fair. It’s awfully Golden Girl today, but then that hasn’t hurt Sophia, Rose, or Dorothy.

BLESSING

Spiritual word name possibility.

BLISS

A name synonymous with joy, Bliss got a boost from 2009 Elliot Page movie, Whip It. 

BLYTHE

Vintage, tailored Blythe comes with an appealing meaning: happy.

BLOSSOM

A pan-botanical possibility with ties to jazz and 90s television.

BLUE

Colorful, and very wearable in our Scarlett-Navy-Olive moment.

BLUMA

From a Yiddish word meaning flower.

BOADICEA, BOUDICCA

The name of an ancient British queen who stood up to the Romans. It means victory.

BONITA

A 1940s favorite meaning pretty, just like the related Bonnie.

BRADAMANTE

Literary invention from the fifteenth century, likely coined from the words for wild and loving.

BRANDY

A former favorite, also spelled Brandi and Brandie, this name comes directly from the alcohol … and the 1972 song “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl).”

BRANWEN

A name from Welsh myth meaning “white raven.”

BRAYLEE

A mix of several stylish sounds.

BRENDA

A midcentury favorite, Brenda left the US Top 1000 after 2017 but remains familiar.

BRENNA

Maybe a feminine form of Brennan, or a twist on former favorite Brenda.

BRIALLEN

A modern Welsh name meaning primrose.

BRIE

Yes, it’s a cheese. But it’s also the name of Oscar-winning actor Brie Larson. Brie was born Brianna. It can also be short for names like Gabrielle. Spelling Bree is another option, and Brigh is a name from Irish mythology.

BRISEIS

Borrowed from Greek myth, Briseis was captured by Achilles during the Trojan War.

BRITTA

A Scandi nickname for Birgitta, their translation of Bridget.

BRIONY

Another nature name, borrowed from a climbing vine. Spelling Bryony is also seen.

BRONTE

A surname name with literary ties, thanks to the nineteenth century novelists Emily, Charlotte, and Anne.

BRONWEN, BRONWYN

Another Welsh name, this one made famous by 1939 novel-turned-1941 film How Green Was My Valley. The -wen spelling is feminine in Wales, but the broader English-speaking world has tended to favor the -wyn spelling.

BUTTERCUP

Borrowed from the flower, as well as the princess in enduring favorite film The Princess Bride.

What are your favorite girl names starting with B?

First published on October 26, 2020, this post was revised and re-published on September 27, 2021 and again on May 30, 2022; and June 12, 2023.