Stella: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Girl name origins & meanings

Latin : Star
Latin : Star
French : Variation of Estella

What does Stella mean and stand for?

The name Stella is of Latin origin and means "star." After being coined in 1590 by Sir Philip Sidney, Stella quickly became popular as a standalone name after previously being used as a variation of Estella and Estelle.

Syllables: 2

Girl name variations

Family name origins & meanings

Italian : from stella ‘star’. In most cases it probably derives from a medieval female personal name or nickname, but it may also have been a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a star or from any of the places so named (for example in Savona and Salerno), or a topographic name for someone who lived at a place from which roads radiated out in various different directions.
Dutch : from a Latin translation of Dutch Ster, meaning ‘star’, a habitational name derived from a house sign.

Famous people with this first name

Stella McCartney

Stella Tennant

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Stella has been consistently popular, remaining in the top 50 since 2016, and in the top 100 since 2010. It reached peak popularity in 2018 at position 38, and has slightly declined in popularity since.

However, it is the 42nd most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Isabella was at its peak popularity in August 2020.

Stella was coined by Sir Philip Sidney. in 1590 after he named his poetry collection Astrophel and Stella. The name has only increased in popularity since. Various celebrities, including Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott, Molly Shannon, Ellen Pompeo, Gena Lee Nolan, Jennifer Grey and Dave Matthews, have named their daughter Stella. Stella was also famously bellowed by Marlon Brandon in A Streetcar Named Desire.