Zella

Sunny, sassy, and stylish, Zella is a multicultural and versatile choice which works across multiple languages. Popular back in the early 19th century, Zella is now catching the attention of cotemporary parent as a rival to Ella, Stella, and Della.

From its African roots, Zella is both a Libyan oasis and a name of Bobangi origin with the powerful meaning "lacking knowing, one who knows the way". From its American and European roots, Zella likely emerged as a short form or a twist on names including: Rosella, Marcella, Gizella, Isabella, Zelda, Zillah, Griselda, or Zelie, giving it a whole host of possible meanings.

Zella was in the US Top 1000 between 1880 and 1950, before it mostly fell out of use. It began to see renewed interest in the late 2000s and in a recent year, was given to around 130 girls.

Pronounced ZEL-uh.

As of October 2026, Zella ranked #1746 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #220 in 1888.