Girl Names Starting with B

An Overview of the Names

• Barbara: Traces back to the Greek word “barbaros,” which originally means “the stranger” or “the foreigner.”
• Bea: Documented as a short form of Beatrix or Beatrice. The Latin root word “beatus” means “happy” or “blessed.”
• Beatrice: A development of the Latin name Beatrix. The meaning is often traced back to “viatrix” (the traveler) or “beatus” (blessed); both derivations are widespread.
• Becky: An English short form of Rebecca. The exact meaning of the Hebrew original name is not definitively clarified; a common interpretation is “the captivating one” or “the ensnaring one.”
• Belinda: The older etymological meaning of this name family is not definitively clarified. The name has Germanic roots, but was later often associated with the Italian or Spanish word “bella” (beautiful).
• Bella: Documented as the Italian word for “the beautiful one,” but is also frequently given today as an independent short form of Isabella or Annabella.
• Benita: The Spanish feminine form of Benedict. Traces back to the Latin “benedictus,” which means “the blessed one.”
• Bente: A Frisian and Dutch short form of Benedikta. Here, too, the Latin “benedictus” (blessed) serves as the documented meaning.
• Berenice: A name with Greek roots. It is composed of the words for “to bring” and “victory” and means “the bringer of victory.”
• Bernadette: A French feminine form of Bernhard. The Germanic name elements mean “bear” and “hardy” or “brave.”
• Berta / Bertha: Traces back to the Old High German word “beraht,” which means “bright” or “famous.”
• Bianca: The Italian form of the name Blanka. The root word means “white” or “shining.”
• Bibi: This name is a short form that can be associated with various longer names. A single blanket meaning would be too imprecise. In addition, the word means “lady” or “mistress” in Persian and Urdu.
• Billie: An English short form, usually of Wilhelmina. The Germanic roots of the original name stand for “will” and “helmet” (protection).
• Birgit: A Scandinavian form of Birgitta, which in turn traces back to the Celtic name Brighid. The documented meaning is “the exalted one.”
• Blanca / Blanka: A name of Romance origin tracing back to the Germanic word “blank.” It means “white” or “bright.”
• Bohdana: A Slavic first name. The name elements mean “God” and “given.” The documented meaning is “given by God.”
• Bonnie: A Scottish first name tracing back to the Scottish word “bonnie” (pretty, attractive), which in turn derives from the French “bon” (good).
• Bora: As a Turkish name, Bora means “storm” or “squall,” as an Albanian name “snow,” and as a Korean name “purple.” These identically spelled names have different linguistic origins.
• Brianna: The feminine form of the Irish name Brian. A common interpretation of the Celtic root is “noble” or “high.”
• Bridget: The English form of the Irish name Brighid. The Celtic root word means “the exalted one.”
• Brisa: A Spanish first name. It traces back to the Spanish word for “breeze” or “light wind.”
• Britta: A short form of Birgitta that is particularly widespread in Scandinavia and Germany. The Celtic root means “the exalted one.”
• Bronja: A Slavic short form, usually of Bronislava. The name elements mean “armor” or “protection” and “glory.”
• Brunhilde: A classic Old High German name. It is composed of the words for “byrnie” (breastplate) and “battle.”

Regional Pronunciation and Spellings

When shortlisting a first name starting with B, keep regional pronunciation in mind. In some Southern and Central German dialects, the letters B and P are barely distinguished acoustically. In everyday life there, a “Berta” can quickly sound like a “Perta.” Also check whether the name has multiple common spellings, such as Bianca and Bianka or Blanca and Blanka. In such cases, you will need to settle on one variant, which your child may frequently have to spell out or correct later on.

Narrowing Down Your Shortlist

Once you have found a few girl names starting with B that you like, add them to your list. In the HeyName app, you can independently rate names as “Favorite,” “Maybe,” or “Not for Us.” Names that both of you marked as a favorite will appear directly as shared matches. That way, you can instantly see which names you agree on and discuss this shortlist together.

Editorial update: September 22, 2026

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