| Bellamy | Raphael | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Fine friend | God has healed |
| Origin | french | French |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | BEL-uh-mee | rah-fah-EL |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1882 |
| Peak year | 2021 (447) | 2025 (807) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 807 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Bellamy | Raphael |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,341 | 3,992 |
| 2010s | 673 | 4,722 |
| 2000s | 0 | 3,173 |
| 1990s | 0 | 2,952 |
| 1980s | 0 | 2,286 |
| 1970s | 0 | 1,762 |
| 1960s | 0 | 1,107 |
| 1950s | 0 | 893 |
| 1940s | 0 | 655 |
| 1930s | 0 | 688 |
| 1920s | 0 | 1,001 |
| 1910s | 0 | 767 |
| 1900s | 0 | 136 |
| 1890s | 0 | 96 |
| 1880s | 0 | 28 |
From Old French bel ami 'beautiful/fine friend' (bel from Latin bellus 'beautiful' + ami 'friend'). NOTE: 'beautiful' here modifies 'friend' (a fine or handsome companion) rather than naming beauty outright, but the bellus root is explicit.
Raphaël is the French form of Raphael, “God has healed.”
Raphael is more popular than Bellamy today: about 807 US babies were given the name Raphael in 2025, compared with 0 named Bellamy.
Bellamy means Fine friend (french origin), while Raphael means God has healed (French origin).
In US records, Bellamy first appears in 0 and Raphael in 1882, so Bellamy has the longer recorded history.