Explore the Family Name Bela
The meaning of Bela
1. Hungarian (Béla): from the common Hungarian personal name Béla, which is of uncertain etymology. It may be from the Slavic personal name element bel ‘white’ (see, for example, Belan), or possibly from Turkish bel ‘waist, loins’, also ‘middle of the back’, or belek ‘gift’. The surname Bela is also found in Romania, Slovenia, and Croatia. 2. Czech (Běla): from the female personal name Běla, meaning ‘white’. As a surname it denoted the son or husband of a woman so named. 3. Sorbian (Běla, B’ela, or Běła, B’eła): from a pet form of the Biblical personal name Abel, or a nickname derived from běły ‘white, bright, fair’. Compare Biele, Biehle.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bela in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Bela saw an increase in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 60,390th in popularity but rose to 59,171st by 2010, marking a 2.02% change. The count of people with this surname also increased during this decade, from 312 in 2000 to 342 in 2010, representing a growth rate of 9.62%. Despite this growth, the proportion of people named Bela per 100,000 remained constant at 0.12.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #60,390 | #59,171 | 2.02% |
| Count | 312 | 342 | 9.62% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bela
In terms of ethnicity based on the Decennial U.S. Census, there were significant shifts among those bearing the surname Bela between 2000 and 2010. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled, increasing from 1.92% to 3.51%. Similarly, the proportion of White individuals rose from 35.90% to 45.61%, while the percentage of Black individuals increased slightly from 4.17% to 5.26%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Hispanic individuals reduced from 52.88% to 45.03%. There were no individuals who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native or of two or more races in 2010, where previously the latter category had made up 5.13% of this population in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 35.9% | 45.61% | 27.05% |
| Hispanic | 52.88% | 45.03% | -14.84% |
| Black | 4.17% | 5.26% | 26.14% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.92% | 3.51% | 82.81% |
| Two or More Races | 5.13% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |