NameCensus.

UK surname

Bellas

A Turkish surname derived from the Greek word meaning "beautiful".

In the 1881 census there were 286 people recorded with the Bellas surname, ranking it #10,036 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 412, ranked #11,627, down from #10,036 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bongate or Appleby St Michael, Dacre and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eden, Kirklees and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bellas is 417 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.1%.

1881 census count

286

Ranked #10,036

Modern count

412

2016, ranked #11,627

Peak year

2010

417 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bellas had 286 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,036 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 412 in 2016, ranked #11,627.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 410 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bellas surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bellas surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bellas surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bellas over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 198 #10,483
1861 historical 171 #13,692
1881 historical 286 #10,036
1891 historical 321 #10,520
1901 historical 367 #10,076
1911 historical 410 #9,126
1997 modern 389 #11,238
1998 modern 397 #11,400
1999 modern 406 #11,329
2000 modern 407 #11,252
2001 modern 396 #11,307
2002 modern 393 #11,587
2003 modern 379 #11,714
2004 modern 388 #11,539
2005 modern 383 #11,565
2006 modern 376 #11,775
2007 modern 384 #11,726
2008 modern 383 #11,876
2009 modern 403 #11,659
2010 modern 417 #11,606
2011 modern 408 #11,681
2012 modern 401 #11,699
2013 modern 404 #11,833
2014 modern 414 #11,708
2015 modern 399 #11,928
2016 modern 412 #11,627

Geography

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Where Bellas' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bongate or Appleby St Michael, Dacre, Gateshead, Penrith and Crosthwaite. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eden, Kirklees and Doncaster. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bongate or Appleby St Michael Westmorland
2 Dacre Cumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Penrith Cumberland
5 Crosthwaite Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eden 003 Eden
2 Eden 006 Eden
3 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
4 Eden 004 Eden
5 Doncaster 021 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bellas

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bellas surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bellas

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bellas, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Bellas surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bellas household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bellas is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bellas is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bellas falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bellas is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bellas, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bellas

The surname Bellas is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the Spanish word "bella," meaning beautiful. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in or near a place considered particularly scenic or attractive.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bellas surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrias, a medieval Spanish manuscript dating back to the 14th century. This document lists various individuals and their respective places of residence, including a person identified as "Juan Bellas de Sevilla."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appears to have spread across Spain, with records indicating Bellas families residing in regions such as Andalusia, Catalonia, and Aragon. Some notable individuals from this period include Diego Bellas (1560-1632), a renowned painter from Seville, and María Bellas (1585-1648), a celebrated poet and playwright from Valencia.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Bellas name also found its way to the Americas. One of the earliest known individuals bearing this surname in the New World was Pedro Bellas (1612-1677), a Spanish settler who established a successful farming operation in what is now Mexico.

In the 19th century, several Bellas families emigrated from Spain to other parts of Europe and the Americas, contributing to the further dissemination of the name. Juan Bellas (1785-1862), a Spanish soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, later settled in France, where he started a family. Another notable figure from this period was Tomás Bellas (1810-1886), a Cuban writer and journalist who played a significant role in the island's independence movement.

Other historical figures bearing the Bellas surname include Alejandro Bellas (1865-1942), a renowned Argentinian architect known for his work on numerous public buildings in Buenos Aires, and María Bellas (1892-1974), a Spanish politician and women's rights activist who served as a member of the Cortes Generales, Spain's parliament.

While the Bellas name may have evolved over time and across different regions, its roots can be traced back to medieval Spain, where it likely originated as a locational surname associated with a place of natural beauty.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bellas families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bellas surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Westmorland leads with 102 Bellas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 165.77x.

County Total Index
Westmorland 102 165.77x
Durham 57 6.84x
Cumberland 41 17.01x
Lancashire 35 1.05x
Yorkshire 22 0.79x
Middlesex 10 0.36x
Northumberland 8 1.92x
Surrey 4 0.29x
Cheshire 3 0.49x
Berkshire 2 0.95x
Ayrshire 1 0.48x
Monmouthshire 1 0.49x
Shropshire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Appleby St Michael in Westmorland leads with 25 Bellas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1811.59x.

Place Total Index
Appleby St Michael 25 1811.59x
Little Strickland 19 17272.73x
Preston 11 12.38x
Shap 11 808.82x
Bishopwearmouth 10 13.99x
Penrith 10 112.36x
Walton On Hill 10 55.56x
Warcop 9 1304.35x
Skipwith 8 2962.96x
Staffield 8 3333.33x
Stockton On Tees 8 19.93x
West Herrington 8 273.97x
Dacre 7 752.69x
Islington London 7 2.58x
Mallerstang 7 2692.31x
Auckland St Helen 6 681.82x
Blencarn 6 4285.71x
Crook Billy Row 6 56.23x
Whitworth 6 98.36x
Bolton 5 1282.05x
Brougham 5 1785.71x
Crosthwaite 5 1666.67x
Elswick 5 15.04x
Crosby Ravensworth 4 533.33x
Hulme 4 5.77x
Long Marton 4 579.71x
Middleton In Teesdale 4 181.82x
Padiham 4 49.81x
Everton 3 2.83x
Kirby Hill In Richmond 3 3750.00x
Latchford 3 72.99x
Linthorpe 3 18.12x
Morland 3 833.33x
Newbottle 3 65.93x
Putney 3 23.51x
Stainmore 3 638.30x
Falsgrave 2 48.90x
Hesket In Forest 2 106.38x
Hutton In Forest 2 869.57x
Patterdale 2 294.12x
Reading St Giles 2 9.70x
Soulby 2 769.23x
Stirton Cum Thorlby 2 1333.33x
Tynemouth 2 8.96x
Usworth 2 45.25x
Westoe 2 4.24x
Appleby St Lawrence 1 71.43x
Clapham 1 2.86x
Heston 1 10.75x
Heworth 1 6.09x
High Buston 1 1000.00x
Kensington London 1 0.64x
Kilmarnock 1 4.01x
Liverpool 1 0.50x
Martindale 1 714.29x
Merrington 1 62.50x
Monk Frystone 1 208.33x
Ormesby 1 13.40x
Richmond 1 23.09x
Royton 1 9.84x
Settle 1 47.17x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 11.78x
Sockbridge 1 476.19x
St Marylebone London 1 0.67x
St Woollos 1 4.43x
Stretford 1 5.47x
Watermillock 1 227.27x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bellas surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 22
Elizabeth 15
Sarah 13
Margaret 10
Ann 9
Jane 8
Isabella 6
Annie 5
Esther 5
Agnes 3
Catherine 3
Eliza 3
Florence 3
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Augusta 1
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Bella 1
Carolina 1
Charlloter 1
Clara 1
Dinah 1
Dorathy 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth.Annie 1
Ellen 1
Elyn 1
Ester 1
Grace 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Madalin 1
Margreat 1
Margrett 1
Margt. 1
Nancy 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Thomas 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bellas surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 24
Thomas 23
William 17
Joseph 16
George 8
Mark 8
Robert 5
David 4
Benjamin 3
James 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Lancelot 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
H. 1
Herbert 1
Jonathan 1
Jos. 1
Lanclot 1
Nahan 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Bellas surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bellas surname in 1881?

In 1881, 286 people were recorded with the Bellas surname. That placed it at #10,036 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bellas surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 412 in 2016. That gives Bellas a modern rank of #11,627.

What does the Bellas surname mean?

A Turkish surname derived from the Greek word meaning "beautiful".

What does the Bellas map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bellas bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.