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Belle Family History

Belle Surname Meaning

Italian (Bellé): from a shortened derivative of Bello for example Belletto. French: from the feminine form of the nickname Bel from Old French belle ‘beautiful’ or a habitational name from (La) Belle the name of several places in various parts of France.

German: habitational name from a place so named in the Lippe district. Dutch: variant of Van Belle. English: variant of Bell.

Germanized, Italianized, or Americanized form of Slovenian Bele: nickname for a fair-haired or pale-skinned man from bel ‘white, light, fair’ or a patronymic from Beli, a nickname derived from this adjective; or from a short form of the old personal name Belcijan from Latin Felicianus (see Feliciano).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Belle family from?

You can see how Belle families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Belle family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Belle families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 95 Belle families living in Quebec. This was about 49% of all the recorded Belle's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Belle families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Belle surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Belle ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Domestic were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Belle. 43% of Belle men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Belle women worked as a Domestic. Some less common occupations for Americans named Belle were Cultivateur and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Belle | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    43%
  • Labourer
    11%
  • Journalier
    11%
  • Cultivateur
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Domestic
    50%
  • Housekeeper
    50%

What Belle family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 42,000 census records available for the last name Belle. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Belle census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Belle

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Belle. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Belle immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Belle. For the veterans among your Belle ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Belle military records

You've only scratched the surface of Belle family history

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What is the average Belle lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Belle life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Belle in 1949 was 42, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Belle

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Belle ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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