Stella
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Stella
Stella is a name with star quality and sparkle, that manages to sound both ethereal and earthy. Celestial but not otherworldly, it lands somewhere between the popular Ella and bold Seraphina.
The name Stella was derived from stella, the Latin word for "star". It was coined by the poet, Sir Philip Sidney who used it in his 1590 sonnet collection, Astrophel and Stella, which translates literally to "the star lover and his star."
While Astrophel has remained obscure, Stella came into common usage in the 1800s. Inspired perhaps by its similarity to Ella and Esther, and by its association with the Virgin Mary, from her Catholic title, Stella Maris, it was popular in the early decades of the 20th century.
After fading in the 70s, Stella is now back and brighter than ever. Following on the heels of Gabriella and Isabella, it ranks in the US Top 50 and is given to almost 5000 babies each year. With equally astronomical Luna now making the Top 10, Stella might rise even higher.
Stella holds international appeal too and has taken shining spots on the charts in Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Italy, and France.
The name Stella was famously bellowed by Marlon Brando in Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, and it has proved a popular choice among celebrities, including Matt Damon, Ellen Pompeo, Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott, and Gena Lee Nolin.
Designer and animal rights activist Stella McCartney is another notable namesake, as is Stella Adler, an influential acting teacher.
If Stella is shining for you but it’s not quite the brightest star on your list, then you could consider its variants, the literary Estella, or the French Estelle. Alternatively, you might like another starry name, such as Astraea, Seren, or Izara, or something just equally celestial, like Elara, Celia, or Celeste.
Stella is also given to boys.
Pronounced STEL-uh.
As of October 2026, Stella ranked #52 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #38 in 2018, Nameberry popularity #71.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #66 | 4,202 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #51 | 4,798 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #45 | 4,933 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #42 | 5,069 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #38 | 5,163 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #40 | 4,994 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #42 | 4,667 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #41 | 4,818 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #40 | 4,845 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #46 | 4,366 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #49 | 4,264 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #52 | 4,136 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Stella.
Stella on lists
Famous Stellas
- Stella AdlerGirl
American actress and acting teacher
- Stella Dorothea GibbonsGirl
English actress
- Estelle Caro "Stella" (Eggleston) StevensGirl
American actress
- Stella Nina McCartneyGirl
English fashion designer, daughter of musician Paul McCartney
- Stella Mae PartonGirl
American singer,songwriter, sister of singer Dolly Parton
- Stella HudgensGirl
American actress, sister of actress Vanessa Hudgens
- Stella HuangGirl
(born Stella Ng), Singaporean pop singer
- Stella GonetGirl
Scottish actress
- Stella MaessenGirl
Dutch singer
- Stella ObasanjoGirl
First Lady of Nigeria
- Stella SoleilGirl
American pop singer
- Stella TennantGirl
English model
- Stella VanderGirl
French singer
- Stella CorneliaGirl
Indonesian singer
- Stella Maynes MaxwellGirl
Northern Irish,New Zealand model
- Stella Keitel (b. 1985)Girl
daughter of actors Harvey Keitel and Lorraine Bracco
- Stella Breeze Baker (b. 1993)Girl
daughter of actors Simon Baker and Rebecca Rigg
- Stella del Carmen Banderas (b. 1996)Girl
daughter of actors Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas
- Stella Ritter (b. 1998)Girl
daughter of actors John Ritter and Amy Yasbeck
- Stella Irene August Aykroyd (b. 1998)Girl
daughter of actors Dan Aykroyd and Donna Dixon
- Stella Busina Matthews (b. 2001)Girl
daughter of musician Dave Matthews; twin sister Grace Anne
- Stella Street (b. 2001)Girl
daughter of actress Elisabeth Shue
- Stella Gregg (b. 2001)Girl
daughter of actors Clark Gregg and Jennifer Grey
- Stella Huston (b. 2003)Girl
daughter of director Danny Huston; niece of actress Anjelica Huston
- Stella Shannon Chesnut (b. 2003)Girl
daughter of actress Molly Shannon and artist Fritz Chesnut
- Stella Mae Vincent (b. 2004)Girl
daughter of actress Peri Gilpin and artist Christian Vincent; twin of sister Ava Pearl Vincent
- Stella Klim (b. 2006)Girl
daughter of swimmer Michael Klim
- Stella Rose Elizabeth Schweain (b. 2007)Girl
daughter of singer Kristin Swinford of ZOEGirl and Ryan Schweain
- Stella Monroe Hulse (b. 2008)Girl
daughter of actress Gena Lee Nolin and ice hockey player Cale Hulse
- Stella Doreen McDermott (b. 2009)Girl
daughter of actors Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott
- Stella Ruby Urich (b. 2009)Girl
daughter of TV host Kari Byron and Paul Urich
- Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery (b. 2009)Girl
daughter of actress Ellen Pompeo
- Stella Jean Saliman (b. 2010)Girl
daughter of actress Bree Turner and Justin Saliman
- Stella Zavala Damon (b. 2010)Girl
daughter of actor Matt Damon
- Stella Haven Walsh (b. 2011)Girl
daughter of actor Dylan Walsh
- Stella Alzner (b. 2014)Girl
daughter of ice hockey player Karl Alzner
- Stella June Coleman (b. 2014)Girl
daughter of singer Holly Williams and Chris Coleman; granddaughter of singer Hank Williams, Jr.
- Stella Star (b. 2017)Girl
daughter of American reality television star Briana DeJesus
Stella in pop culture
- Stella KowalskiGirl
character in Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire"
- Stella MaynardGirl
character in the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery
- Stella PayneGirl
main character in film "How Stella Got Her Groove Back"
- Stella GibsonGirl
character on TV's "The Fall"
- StellaGirl
the nurse in film "Rear Window"
- Stella BonaseraGirl
character on TV's "CSI: NY"
- Stella MaloneGirl
character on TV's "Jonas"
- Stella YamadaGirl
character in Disney Channel movie "Lemonade Mouth"
- Stella ZinmanGirl
character on TV's "How I Met Your Mother"
- StellaGirl
character on animated series "Hey Arnold"
- StellaGirl
character on animated series "Winx Club"
- Stella AbbottGirl
character on TV's "Life Sentence"
- "StellaGirl
" pseudonym of Celinda Toobad in Thomas Love Peacock's "Nightmare Abbey" (1818)
- StellaGirl
Naylithian character in video game "Aveyond RPG"
- Stella BeniciaGirl
character in the Mara Dyer trilogy by Michelle Hodkin
- Stella DuBoisGirl
character in the book Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards
- StellaGirl
Pearl's dead mother from the novel 'The Year of The Rat'
- Stella CarlinGirl
character on 'Orange Is the New Black'
- Stella NicklebyGirl
baby on TV's Mistresses
- StellaGirl
lead character in the cartoon "Stella and Sam"
- Stella SamuelGirl
character in 'The Heartbreakers' by Ali Novak
- StellaGirl
character in the game "Minecraft: Story Mode , Season Two"
- "StellaGirl
" children's book by Janell Cannon about the titular fruit bat
- "Stella and SamGirl
" children's book by Marie Louise Gay and TV series
- "StellaGirl
" song by All Time Low
- "Bella StellaGirl
" song by Highland
- "Stella BlueGirl
" song by the Grateful Dead
- "StellaGirl
" song by Ida Maria
- Stella ArtoisGirl
a brand of beer
- Stella DoroGirl
brand of packaged cookies
- Stella Rose BuckleyGirl
character on Netflix series "Insatiable"