Bea

Bea - A very unique female name

Bea appeared on the charts for the first time in 1914 on position #1002. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Bea and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Bea? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Bea. The baby girl name Bea was given to 26 baby girls in 2025, ranking #2624 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 50,133 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Bea peaked in popularity 112 years ago in 1914 on position 1002.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Bea, 1-5?

Bea is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Bea is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #1,549 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,243.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Bea is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Bea origin and meaning

English, short form of Beatrice

A short form of Beatrice/Beatrix; Beatrice itself is disputed — from Latin beatrix, 'she who makes happy', altered from the older Viatrix, 'voyager'

Bea began as the everyday short form of Beatrice and has only recently been registered on its own, reaching its highest use in 2023 as vintage nickname names revived. Because Beatrice's own derivation is disputed, Bea's is flagged uncertain too.

Origin uncertain

Bea is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Bea, pop culture references for the name Bea and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Bea

We've found the following names that sound similar to Bea, sorted by popularity.

Bobbie / Bobbi / Bobby / Baby / Buffy / Bobbye / Bowie / Bev / Bao / Buffie /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Bea

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Bea a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Bea?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

BEE · /bi/
Most American Beas are BEE (one syllable), but BEE-uh (two) is also used, especially as a formal given name.

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

• Bea Arthur — American actress, star of Maude and The Golden Girls; born Bernice Frankel and famous under the name Bea (1922–2009) Contemporary
• Bea Miller — American singer who rose to fame on The X Factor; born Beatrice Miller and performs as Bea Miller (b. 1999) Contemporary

Style

Nickname nameShort formVintage revival

Why parents choose it

Bea is the sweetest possible vintage nickname — one syllable, all warmth — now increasingly used as the full name. It is small but climbing fast.

Worth knowing

• People will assume it is short for Beatrice