| Belle | Delphine | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Beautiful | Dolphin; of Delphi |
| Origin | french | French |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | BEL | del-FEEN |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1915 (407) | 1958 (348) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 42 |
| Trend | Vintage | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Belle | Delphine |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,522 | 261 |
| 2010s | 2,405 | 397 |
| 2000s | 1,297 | 154 |
| 1990s | 392 | 103 |
| 1980s | 112 | 141 |
| 1970s | 171 | 343 |
| 1960s | 261 | 987 |
| 1950s | 398 | 1,676 |
| 1940s | 429 | 1,005 |
| 1930s | 538 | 1,730 |
| 1920s | 1,545 | 2,080 |
| 1910s | 2,901 | 1,021 |
| 1900s | 2,096 | 287 |
| 1890s | 2,512 | 161 |
| 1880s | 2,648 | 102 |
The French word belle 'beautiful', feminine of beau, from Latin bellus. Used as a given name meaning 'beautiful' and also a short form of names like Isabelle/Annabelle.
Delphine is linked to the dolphin and to Delphi, seat of the ancient oracle.
Delphine is more popular than Belle today: about 42 US babies were given the name Delphine in 2025, compared with 0 named Belle.
Belle means Beautiful (french origin), while Delphine means Dolphin; of Delphi (French origin).
In US records, Belle first appears in 0 and Delphine in 1880, so Belle has the longer recorded history.