Belle vs Hazel
Belle and Hazelcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Belle was ranked #325 and Hazel #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Belle was ranked #311 and Hazel #75 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Belle was ranked #295 and Hazel #97 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Belle was ranked #407 and Hazel #169 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Belle and Hazel over time
Belle and Hazel appear together in 3 published lists, across 57 years of shared records. Hazel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Belle in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Belle reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Hazel in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Belle held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Hazel in 27.
Highest recorded here: Belle #229 in 2018, Hazel #75 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Belle #311, Hazel #75.
Republic of Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2006–2025
Belle held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Hazel in 20.
Highest recorded here: Belle #220 in 2020, Hazel #44 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Belle #325, Hazel #55.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 2013–2024
Belle held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Hazel in 4.
Highest recorded here: Belle #179 in 2018, Hazel #169 in 2024.
The order changed in 2023: Hazel moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #237 and #298; by 2023 that had become #328 and #209.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Belle #407, Hazel #169.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Belle | Hazel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the English word for the hazel tree, or the light brown colour associated with it, ultimately from Old English 'hæsel'. Created as a given name in the 19th century. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English (nature name) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈheɪ.zəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #8 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hazel has a recorded origin (English (nature name)); Belle does not have one recorded yet.
- Belle and Hazel both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Hazel; Belle doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Belle
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2096 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2011–2024
Highest recorded position: #179 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2018 (recorded 2011–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Hazel
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2014–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2014–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls