At a glance
- In short
- Bellamy is a unisex English name from the Old French bel ami, meaning fine friend.
- U.S. rank 2025 (girls)
- #797
- Babies in 2025 (girls)
- 341 (0.019% of girls)
- As a boy name
- #721 in 2025 (374 babies)Peak #621 in 2021
- Trend (girls)
- Steady #797 in 2020 to #797 in 2025
- Peak (girls)
- #718 in 2022
- First recorded
- 1993 (as a girl name; 2014 as a boy name)
Meaning of Bellamy
Bellamy comes from an English surname that began as a medieval nickname from the Old French bel ami, meaning "fine friend" or "handsome friend." It is used for both boys and girls.
As a surname it is linked to American history. Francis Bellamy wrote the original Pledge of Allegiance in 1892, and Edward Bellamy wrote the 1888 utopian novel Looking Backward. Actress Bellamy Young is known for playing Mellie Grant on Scandal, and Bellamy Blake is a lead character in the TV series The 100.
In the U.S., Bellamy was rare for years, with only 48 babies given the name in 2010. It rose sharply over the next decade and peaked in 2022, when 408 babies received it and it ranked 718th. In 2025 it was 797th, with 341 babies.
How to pronounce Bellamy
English
- Pronounced BEL-uh-mee /ˈbɛl.ə.mi/
Popularity of Bellamy in the U.S.
Bellamy was the #797 girl name in the U.S. in 2025, with 341 babies. It peaked at #718 in 2022 and has been in the top 1,000 since 2020. It first appears in the records in 1993. As a boy name it was #721 in 2025, with 374 babies.
- Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Girls year by year, 1993–2025 25 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 341 | 797 | ▲ 63 |
| 2024 | 314 | 860 | ▼ 28 |
| 2023 | 330 | 832 | ▼ 114 |
| 2022 | 408 | 718 | ▲ 46 |
| 2021 | 373 | 764 | ▲ 33 |
| 2020 | 341 | 797 | ▲ 219 |
| 2019 | 253 | 1,016 | ▼ 56 |
| 2018 | 275 | 960 | ▲ 76 |
| 2017 | 249 | 1,036 | ▲ 62 |
| 2016 | 234 | 1,098 | ▲ 195 |
| 2015 | 186 | 1,293 | ▲ 583 |
| 2014 | 107 | 1,876 | ▲ 1,290 |
| 2013 | 51 | 3,166 | ▲ 47 |
| 2012 | 51 | 3,213 | ▼ 81 |
| 2011 | 53 | 3,132 | ▲ 228 |
| 2010 | 48 | 3,360 | ▲ 3,981 |
| 2009 | 17 | 7,341 | ▲ 2,135 |
| 2008 | 12 | 9,476 | ▼ 956 |
| 2007 | 14 | 8,520 | ▼ 2,811 |
| 2006 | 23 | 5,709 | ▲ 290 |
| 2005 | 20 | 5,999 | ▲ 2,717 |
| 2004 | 12 | 8,716 | ▼ 3,481 |
| 2003 | 23 | 5,235 | back (not recorded in 1997–2002) |
| 1996 | 5 | 13,518 | back (not recorded in 1994–1995) |
| 1993 | 5 | 13,442 | new |
Boys year by year, 2014–2025 12 rows
Bellamy by state
Notable people named Bellamy
- Bellamy Young is an American actress, producer, and singer best known for playing Mellie Grant on Scandal, winning the 2014 Critics Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress, and starring in Prodigal Son.
- Bellamy Road was an American Thoroughbred and 2005 Wood Memorial winner owned by George Steinbrenners Kinsman Stable.