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 (#63)
A place name that picks up on earlier favorite Brooke, with the popular -lyn ending, plus a dash of urban sensibility.
BELLA (#73)
Isabella is more popular, yes. But just Bella fits right in with Ella and Stella, a name sound that defines a generation.
BRIELLE (#118)
It might be short for Gabrielle, though Brielle owes something to Brianna, too.
BLAKELY (#154)
Blakely debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2011, a feminine spin on surname name Blake.
BAILEY (#162)
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.
BRYNLEE (#187)
Brynlee is either a creative spelling of surname Brinley, or a Brynn-Lee mash-up. Either way, it’s racing up the charts.
BLAKE (#199)
Speaking of celebrities, Blake Lively helped put Blake on the list of possibilities for our daughters.
BROOKE (#259)
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.
BROOKLYNN (#314)
Brooklynn is a little less New York borough, slightly more name-like.
BLAIR (#315)
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 (#328)
Drop the first syllable from recent chart-topper Gabriella and you’ll have just Briella, a pretty name that stands on its own.
BRYNN (#362)
A Welsh name meaning hill, Brynn tends to be feminine in the US, a name in the key of Sloane, Blair, and Quinn.
BRINLEY (#392)
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.
BIANCA (#447)
Bianca sounds glamorous, maybe because Nicaraguan-born socialite-turned-activist Bianca Jagger introduced it to the English-speaking world in the 1970s.
BRISTOL (#451)
A place name borrowed from England, Bristol first caught parents’ attention after the oldest daughter of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin became reality stars.
BRAELYNN (#472)
Recently coined, Braelynn mashes up all sorts of popular sounds to create an on-trend possibility in the key of Kaylin and similar.
BONNIE (#513)
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 (#515)
A nature name that also brings to mind another name for the fairytale Sleeping Beauty: Briar Rose.
BEATRICE (#565)
Traditional Beatrice reigns as a literary favorite, thanks to Dante’s Divine Comedy.
BRIANA (#637)
One of several possible spellings for the long time favorite Brianna.
BLAIRE (#641)
Blair, influenced by Claire.
BETHANY (#646)
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.
BRIDGET (#722)
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.
BRAELYN (#750)
Braelynn with one fewer N.
BEXLEY (#756)
Yet another inventive B-ley surname name, this one with roots on the map.
BELLAMY (#765)
A surname name with a great meaning – beautiful friend – Bellamy’s Bell sound makes it a natural possibility for a daughter.
BAYLEE (#768)
A Bailey-Kaylee hybrid.
BRIA (#790)
A short form of Brianna, or maybe a feminine twist on brio, meaning spirit or vigor.
BERKLEY (#793)
The storied California city spells it with an extra ‘e’ – Berkeley. But this is the more popular choice for a child’s name.
BAILEE (#816)
The third spelling of upbeat surname name Bailey on the list.
BELEN (#826)
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 (#888)
Brynlee is more popular, but the -leigh ending works just as well.
BAYLOR (#894)
Bay plus Taylor, combined for a name with ties to a Texas university.
BIRDIE (#897)
We love Wren and other bird names for girls, so Birdie seems like a natural.
BARBARA (#911)
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.
BRITTANY (#934)
A chart-topping favorite from an earlier era, Brittany originally comes from the name of a region in northwestern France.
BRYLEE (#935)
Another creative entry on the list of B baby girl names.
BILLIE (#941)
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.
BRAYLEE (#964)
A mix of several stylish sounds.
VINTAGE B NAMES for GIRLS
BEA
Short for Beatrice and Beatrix, Bea might also stand alone. It would also fit with middle names like Kay.
BEATRIX
Beatrix-with-an-x brings to mind Peter Rabbit’s creator, writer, illustrator and naturalist, Beatrix Potter.
BELINDA
A lovely, romantic name made famous by poet Alexander Pope in 1712.
BELLE
Sparer than Bella, Belle is a Disney princess – and so far, much less common than the -a ending form.
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.
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?
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.
BLYTHE
Vintage, tailored Blythe comes with an appealing meaning: happy.
BONITA
A 1940s favorite meaning pretty, just like the related Bonnie.
BRENDA
A midcentury favorite, Brenda left the US Top 1000 after 2017 but remains familiar.
RARE GIRL NAMES BEGINNING WITH B
BASIA
Pronounced like Basha, this is a Polish nickname for Barbara.
BAY
A water name, every bit as wearable as River.
BELLATRIX
If only the Harry Potter villain weren’t so irredeemable, this Bella-Beatrix smoosh could be big. It means “female warrior” in Latin.
BELPHOEBE
A borrowing from Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, and a Belle-Phoebe combination that seems very wearable.
BENITA
It looks like Bonita respelling, but Benita is the feminine equivalent of Benito.
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.
BIJOU
A French word meaning jewel, an alternative to sparkling Gemma.
BLISS
A name synonymous with joy, Bliss got a boost from 2009 Ellen Page movie, Whip It.
BLOSSOM
A pan-botanical possibility with ties to jazz and 90s television.
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.
BRITTA
A Scandi nickname for Birgitta, their translation of Bridget.
BRIONY
Another nature name, borrowed from a climbing vine.
BRONTE
A surname name with literary ties, thanks to the nineteenth century novelists Emily, Charlotte, and Anne.
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.
I have been obsessed with Beata (blessed) for so long! I saw it as a young girl at a cemetery and I have liked it since.
I love the B names. Lots of them are so useable. Some, though, make me laugh. Betselot (to me) sounds like “bets a lot,” which might lead to gambling problems. 😉 And Beryl, while pretty as a gemstone name, also sounds like “barrel.”
The rest are good. I especially like Bea, pronounced bee.
Recently I have been obsessed with Beyla (Yiddish Bella). I agree with everyone saying how gorgeous Belen is. I ADORE Bernadette. My favorite B nickname from Elizabeth is Betsy.
I would have expected Beatrice and Bianca to be more popular! Agreed that Belen is a favorite as well
I don’t think i saw Belen on the list? This name is really starting to grow on me.
There are a lot of lovely B names. Bronwen is my favourite!