In Turkey it is known as Oryantal Tansi and in Arab countries as Raqs Sharqi - translation, Oriental Dance. The French, during their occupation period of Egypt (1798 - 1801), called it "la danse du ventre", meaning "dance of the stomach".

The misnomer was later translated into English as "Belly dance" by American promoter Sol Bloom. Sol was the Entertainment Director of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. He used the term as an advertising hook to draw visitors to an exhibit called "The Streets of Cairo" that featured snake charmers, camel rides and dancers.

At the time, society considered any description of the body to be socially unacceptable and Sol knew the term Belly dance would scandalize interest and ultimately increase his business. Along with the sensational label, barkers at the exhibit would hype the dance show by calling out outrageous lines like "every fiber and tissue in her entire anatomy shakes like a jar of jelly from your grandmother's thanksgiving dinner..." etc. They even went so far as to prohibit women from viewing the show, to further shock and titillate the public.