Bellamy
Meaning
from French 'bel ami', meaning 'handsome friend'
The story
Bellamy comes from the Old French bel ami, meaning fine friend or handsome companion, which makes it one of the warmest names in meaning on the whole shelf. It began as a surname for a good-natured, well-liked person and has crossed cleanly into first-name use, working for a girl or a boy. It carries a literary echo from Edward Bellamy, whose utopian novel gripped readers a century ago, and a musical one from the harmony-rich Bellamy Brothers. Fresh and stylish, it fits the modern love of surnames worn up front, with the sweet short form Bell inside it. Brand new in that role, Bellamy has climbed fast in the United States and reads as current as it has ever been. Friendly by definition, melodic and modern, Bellamy hands a child a name that literally means beautiful friend.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Bellamy peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
23 people · the #113,027 first name in Brazil · median age 2
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Bellamy
Most people given the name Bellamy in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Bellamy deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Bellamy truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Bellamy fits with your family’s names and surname.
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