The Bell surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 220,599 people carried this name — #106 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,340 people counted. That is down 17% from 264,752 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Bell surname
A surname of Scottish and northern English origin for a bell ringer, bellmaker, or from someone who lived "at the Bell (inn).".
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bell» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 197 births for the Bell name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 8,700 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim, Down, Tyrone, Armagh, and Dublin.”
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 573 people named Bell live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 270 people named Bell.
111 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 24 départements, most often Moselle.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
259 people named Bell live in Switzerland.
They live in 16 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
74 people named Bell have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 196 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 10 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Pomeranian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 29 people named Bell live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
612 people named Bell are counted in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Norway publishes only surnames with 200 or more bearers. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Statistics Norway (SSB, ssb.no), table 12891, 2025 — CC BY 4.0 · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Bell in American newspapers,
1908–1915.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,813,589 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Bell,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Arthur Bell 1590–1643 · Catholic priest -
Johann Adam Schall von Bell 1592–1666 · astronomer -
Andrew Bell 1726–1809 · printer -
Andrew Bell 1753–1832 · physician -
John Bell 1763–1820 · physician
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 118 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Bell.
- Belfiore 1,354 · U.S. census
- Belfort 293 · U.S. census
- Beliard 142 · U.S. census
- Belin 2,398 · U.S. census
- Belis 251 · U.S. census
- Belizaire 1,824 · U.S. census
- Bella 2,999 · U.S. census
- Bellagamba 166 · U.S. census
- Bellair 178 · U.S. census
- Bellaire 417 · U.S. census
- Bellamy 17,167 · U.S. census
- Bellan 393 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Bell is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.