Béla (Magyar /belɒ/, English /beɪlə/ "BAY-luh") is a common Hungarian male given name. Its most likely etymology is from old Hungarian bél (heart, inside - meaning intestines in modern Hungarian). Other possible sources are a Turkic word meaning 'distinguished' and the Slavic word for 'white'.
Notable Bélas include:
Béla of HungaryBéla I of Hungary (1020–1063), King of HungaryBéla II of Hungary (1109–1141), King of Hungary and CroatiaBéla III of Hungary (1148–1196), King of Hungary and CroatiaBéla IV of Hungary (1206–1270), King of Hungary and CroatiaBéla V of Hungary (Otto III of Bavaria; 1261–1312), Duke of Lower Bavaria and King of Hungary and CroatiaBéla of Macsó (1243–1272), Duke of Macsó and BosniaBela of Saint Omer (?–1258), French knight, Lord of one half of ThebesBela of Britonia (fl. 675), Galician clergyman, Bishop of BritoniaBéla Nagy Abodi (1918–2012), Hungarian painterBéla Apáti Abkarovics (1888–1957), Hungarian painter and graphic artistBela Ewald Althans (born 1966), German neo-Nazi activistBéla Bacsó (disambiguation)Béla Bacsó (1891–1920) Hungarian journalist and writerBéla Bacsó (1952) aestheteBéla Bácskai (1912–1994), Hungarian field hockey playerBéla Bakosi (born 1957), Hungarian triple jumperBéla Balázs (1884–1949), Hungarian film critic, writer and poetBéla Balogh (1885–1945), Hungarian film directorBéla Balogh (born 1984), Hungarian footballerBéla Bánáthy (disambiguation)Béla H. Bánáthy (1919–2003), American linguist and systems scientistBéla A. Bánáthy (born 1943), American systems scientistBéla Bánhidy (1836–1890), Hungarian politicianBéla Barabás (1855–1934), Hungarian politician, jurist and authorBéla Barényi (1907–1997), Hungarian-Austrian engineerBéla Bartalos (born 1948), Hungarian handball playerBéla Bartók (1881–1945), Hungarian composer and pianistBéla Bay (1907–1999), Hungarian fencerBéla Békessy (1875–1916), Hungarian fencerBéla Belicza, Hungarian sprint canoerBéla Berger (1931–2005), Hungarian-Australian chess playerBéla Bicsérdy (1872–1951), Hungarian alternative medicine advocate, lecturer and authorBéla Biszku (born 1921), Hungarian politicianBéla Bodó (born 1959), Hungarian hurdlerBéla Bodonyi (born 1956), Hungarian footballerBéla Bollobás (born 1943), Hungarian-British mathematicianBela Borsodi, Austrian photographerBéla Bugár (born 1958), Slovak politicianBela Čikoš Sesija (1864–1931), Croatian painterBéla Csécsei (1952–2012), Hungarian educator and politicianBéla Czóbel (1883–1976), Hungarian painterBéla Dankó (born 1969), Hungarian politicianBéla von Darányi (1874–?), Hungarian sports shooterBéla Drahos (born 1955), Hungarian conductor and flautistBéla Egresi (1922–1999), Hungarian footballerBéla Ernyey (born 1942), Hungarian actorBéla Fleck (born 1958), American banjo playerBéla Gaál (1893–1945), Hungarian film directorBéla Glattfelder (born 1967), Hungarian politicianBéla Goldoványi (1925–1972), Hungarian sprinterBéla Grunberger (1903–2005), French psychologistBéla Guttmann (1899–1981), Hungarian footballer and coachBéla Gyarmati (born 1942), Hungarian fencerBéla Hamvas (1897–1968), Hungarian writer, philosopher, and social criticBéla Háray (1915–1988), Hungarian ice hockey and field hockey playerBéla Hatvany (born 1938), American computer scientist, inventor and entrepreneurBela S. Huntington (1858–1934), American lawyer and politicianBéla Illés (1895–1974), Hungarian writer and journalistBéla Illés (born 1968), Hungarian footballerBéla Imrédy (1891–1946), Hungarian politicianBéla Ivády (1873–1962), Hungarian politicianBéla Iványi-Grünwald (1867–1940), Hungarian painterBéla Jankovich (1865–1939), Hungarian politicianBéla Tibor Jeszenszky (1962–2008), Hungarian singerBéla Juhász (1921–2002), Hungarian long-distance runnerBéla Julesz (1928–2003), Hungarian neuroscientistBéla Jurcsek (1893–1945), Hungarian politicianBéla Kádár (1877–1956), Hungarian painterBéla Károlyi (born 1942), Romanian gymnastics coachBéla Kárpáti (1929–2003), Hungarian footballerBéla Katona (born 1944), Hungarian politicianBéla Katzirz (born 1953), Hungarian footballerBéla von Kehrling (1891–1937), Hungarian tennis, table tennis, football and ice-hockey player and bobsledderBéla Kéler (1820–1882), Hungarian composer and conductorBéla Kerékjártó (1898–1946), Hungarian mathematicianBéla Király (1912–2009), Hungarian military officer, politician and historianBéla Kiss (1877–?), Hungarian serial killerBéla Komjádi (1892–1933, Hungarian water polo player and coachBéla Kondor (1931–1972), Hungarian artist and authorBéla Kontuly (1904–1983), Hungarian painter and art teacherBéla Köpeczi (1921–2010), Hungarian cultural historian and politicianBéla Koplárovics (born 1981), Hungarian footballerBéla Kovács (disambiguation)Béla Kovács (1910–1980), Hungarian politician and juristBéla Kovács (1908–1959), Hungarian politicianBéla Kovács (born 1937), Hungarian clarinetistBéla Kovács (born 1960), Hungarian politicianBéla Kovács (born 1977), Hungarian footballerBéla Kuharszki (born 1940), Hungarian footballerBéla Kun (1886–1937?), Hungarian politicianBéla Lajta (1873–1920), Hungarian architectBéla Lakatos (born 1984), Hungarian footballerBéla Linder (1876–1962), Hungarian military officer and politicianBéla Lugosi (1882–1956), Hungarian-American actorBela G. Lugosi (born 1938), American lawyerBéla Macourek (1889–?), Hungarian flying aceBéla Magyari (born 1949), Hungarian military officer and aerospace engineerBéla Markó (born 1951), Romanian politicianBéla Mavrák (born 1966), Hungarian tenor singerBéla Mező (1883–1954), Hungarian sprinter and long jumperBéla Mezőssy (1870–1939), Hungarian politicianBéla Mikla (1921–?), Hungarian fencerBéla Miklós (1890–1948), Hungarian military officer and politicianBela De Nagy (1893–1945), American fencerBéla Orczy (1822–1917), Hungarian politicianBéla Pálfi (1923–1995), Serbian footballerBéla Pállik (1845–1908), Hungarian artist, opera singer and theater directorBela Papp (born 1994), Finnish figure skaterBéla Pásztor (born 1938), Hungarian politicianBéla Perczel (1819–1888), Hungarian politician and juristBéla Petrovics, Hungarian sprint canoerBela Pratt (1867–1917), American sculptorBéla Rajki (1909–2000), Hungarian swimming and water polo coachBéla Rerrich (1917–2005), Hungarian fencerBéla Réthy (born 1956), German sports reporterBéla Sárosi (1919–1993), Hungarian football player and managerBéla Schwalm (born 1941), Hungarian ice hockey playerBéla Scitovszky (1878–1959), Hungarian politicianBéla Sebestyén (1885–1959), Hungarian footballerBela Šefer (fl. 1924), Yugoslav footballerBéla Serényi (1866–1919), Hungarian politicianBéla Síki (born 1923), Hungarian pianistBéla Simon (born 1988), Hungarian rowerBéla Spányi (1852–1914), Hungarian painterBéla Szabados (born 1942 in Transylvania, Hungary), Canadian philosopher and writer.Béla Szabados (disambiguation)Béla Szabados (1867–1936), Hungarian composerBéla Szabados (born 1974), Hungarian Olympic swimmerBéla Szántó (1881–1951), Hungarian politicianBéla Szászy (1865–1931), Hungarian politician and juristBéla Székely (1889–1939), Hungarian politicianBéla Szekeres (disambiguation)Béla Szekeres (born 1933), Hungarian cyclistBéla Szekeres (1938-2000), Hungarian runnerBéla Székula (1881–1966), Hungarian philatelist and forgerBéla Szende (1823–1882), Hungarian politicianBéla Szepes (1903–1986), Hungarian skier, athlete, graphic designer and journalistBéla Szőkefalvi-Nagy (1913–1998), Hungarian mathematicianBéla Szombati (born 1955), Hungarian diplomatBéla Tallián (1851–1921), Hungarian politicianBéla Tarr (born 1955), Hungarian film directorBéla Tomka (born 1962), Hungarian historianBéla Turi-Kovács, (born 1935), Hungarian politicianBéla Vágó (1881–1939), Hungarian politicianBéla Várady (1953–2014), Hungarian footballerBéla Varga (disambiguation)Béla Varga (1888–1969), Hungarian wrestlerBéla Varga (1903–1995), Hungarian politician and priestBéla Virág (born 1976), Hungarian footballerBéla Volentik (1907–1990), Hungarian football player and managerBéla Vörösmarty (1844–1904), Hungarian jurist and politicianBéla Wenckheim (1811–1879), Hungarian politicianBela Zaboly (1910–1985), American cartoonistBéla Zoltán (1865–1929), Hungarian politician and juristBéla Zsedényi (1894–1955), Hungarian jurist and politicianBéla Zsitkovszky (1867–1930), Hungarian cinematographer and film directorBéla Zsitnik (born 1924), Hungarian rowerBéla Zsolt (1895–1949), Hungarian authorBéla Zulawszky (1869–1914), Hungarian fencer