Belinda is a name of uncertain origin, usually explained as Germanic with the element lind, "gentle" or "soft", or in older readings "serpent", and later understood through the Italian bella, "beautiful". Alexander Pope made it famous as the heroine of The Rape of the Lock, and singer Belinda Carlisle gave it a 1980s glow. Belinda stood at number 1433 in 2000, re-entered the top 1000 in 2005, peaked at number 631 in 2007 and ranks 1819 in 2025.