Bela Family History

Hungarian (Béla): from the common Hungarian personal name Béla which is of uncertain etymology. It may be from the Slavic personal name element bel ‘white’ (see for example Belan) or possibly from Turkish bel ‘waist loins’ also ‘middle of the back’ or belek ‘gift’. The surname Bela is also found in Romania, Slovenia, and Croatia.

Czech (Běla): from the female personal name Běla meaning ‘white’. As a surname, it denoted the son or husband of a woman so named.

Sorbian (Běla, B'ela or Běła, B'eła): from a pet form of the Biblical personal name Abel or a nickname derived from běły ‘white, bright, fair’. Compare Biele, Biehle.