Belen
- Pronunciation
- [Be-len]
- Gender
- Female
- Meaning
- Bethlehem.
- Origin
- Spanish
About the Name Belen
Belen is a Spanish name meaning "Bethlehem," the birthplace of Jesus, and in Spanish-speaking cultures the word belén also refers to a nativity scene. It is a name rich with seasonal and devotional meaning, often given in honor of Christmas and the nativity, and its soft two-syllable shape gives it a quiet warmth and grace. The gentle sound belies the deep religious resonance it carries throughout the Hispanic world.
The name evokes both the holy city and the cherished tradition of the Christmas crib, and this blend of faith, family, and festivity has made it an enduring choice across generations. Its understated beauty and easy pronunciation allow it to work equally well across languages, while its meaning gives it a heartfelt significance that few short names can match. For families seeking a name that honors heritage and devotion without sounding ornate, Belen offers a graceful and meaningful option.
Belen first entered the US Social Security top-1000 in 2000 and has appeared steadily since, reaching its peak in 2024 at rank #669 with 430 births that year. It registered 323 births in 2023 at rank #842 and 390 in 2022 at #743, showing a name that has remained a consistent presence and climbed to its strongest standing in the most recent year. Its meaning and melodic simplicity make it a heartfelt pick for families honoring tradition.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration name data, 1880–2024 (methodology). By Marvin Tang.
Quick Facts About Belen
US Popularity History (2000–2025)
Annual US births named Belen by gender, from US Social Security Administration records. Peak year: 2024 with 430 girls named Belen (girl rank #669 that year).
Where it stands today: in 2025, ranked #785 for girls (345 US births). That's 116 places below its 2024 peak.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Limitations: US birth-certificate data only; names appearing fewer than 5 times in a given year are suppressed for privacy; spelling variants are counted separately. For names that ranked outside the US top 100 before year 2000, only the years they reached the top 100 are shown — the chart may have gaps for less-popular historical names.
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Where in the US Is Belen Most Popular?
Average girl-name rank within each state across 2016–2025 SSA records. A lower number means the name appears closer to the top of that state's girls-name rankings — a per-capita measure that isn't biased toward large states. For Belen the strongest states are Nevada, California, Maryland.
Strongest girls-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | #430 | 32 |
| 2 | California | #436 | 762 |
| 3 | Maryland | #534 | 96 |
| 4 | Oregon | #562 | 19 |
| 5 | Texas | #578 | 506 |
| 6 | Arizona | #655 | 84 |
| 7 | Colorado | #682 | 55 |
| 8 | Florida | #684 | 225 |
| 9 | Washington | #692 | 51 |
| 10 | Virginia | #712 | 97 |
Weakest girls-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | #921 | 53 |
| 2 | New York | #883 | 54 |
| 3 | New Jersey | #770 | 86 |
| 4 | Georgia | #760 | 82 |
| 5 | North Carolina | #724 | 106 |
| 6 | Virginia | #712 | 97 |
| 7 | Washington | #692 | 51 |
| 8 | Florida | #684 | 225 |
| 9 | Colorado | #682 | 55 |
| 10 | Arizona | #655 | 84 |
Source: SSA state-level baby-name dataset 2016–2025. States with fewer than 3 years of data for Belen in this window are excluded. Births < 5 in a given state-year are suppressed by SSA for privacy.
Looking for names like Belen?
A dedicated page with 60+ related names — spelling variants, rhymes, alliterations, same-origin matches, and shared meaning concepts — lives at its own URL so each kind of similarity gets a deeper treatment than fits here.
Compare Belen to Other Popular Names
Side-by-side popularity charts and crossover years for Belen against today's most popular girls-name peers (top 8 by US births in the last 10 years of SSA records).
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