Baby Names Girl Names Stella Name Meaning Learn more about the meaning, origin, and popularity of the name Stella. By Vicky Yip Updated on May 2, 2024 Fact checked by Sarah Scott In This Article View All In This Article How Popular Is the Name Stella? Name Variations Similar Names Suggested Sibling Names Famous People Named Stella Close If you’re looking for a modern name with vintage roots for a baby girl, then Stella might be the baby name for you. The name Stella is of Latin and Italian origin meaning “celestial star.” In the past, the name could also have been used to describe someone who lived in a location with the word "star" in its name. A person who lived at a place where the roads radiated out in various different directions, like in the shape of a star, may also have been called Stella. The name Stella may have come into prominence after being used in a sonnet by Philip Sidney, an English poet remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan age. Composed around 1590, Sidney's sonnet, Astrophel and Stella tells the story of a love affair. Origin: The name Stella is of Latin and Italian origin meaning “star.”Gender: Stella is most commonly used as a girl's name.Pronunciation: stel-uh Editor's Note Although baby names are separated by gender, Parents believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It's important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best. How Popular Is the Name Stella? The name Stella has appeared in the top 1,000 list of names for baby girls since 1880, the first available year of data from the Social Security Administration. At its debut, the name was already ranked as No. 60 and would remain in the top 100 most popular names for baby girls for the next quarter-century. Stella steadily decreased in popularity until it fell off the top 1,000 list completely in 1986. However, it jumped back on the next year as No. 965, then disappeared off the top 1,000 list once again in 1988. In 1998, the name Stella reappeared on the list of top girl names as No. 909. It then makes a dramatic comeback, jumping almost 800 spots in the next 10 years. The name peaked in 2018 as No. 38 and currently sat as No. 40 in the rankings from 2022. One of the possible reasons for the dramatic rise in popularity of the name Stella in the last few decades was due to the success of Stella McCartney, an English fashion designer and cultural icon. She is also the daughter of the popular singer-songwriter Sir Paul McCartney. In 2001, Stella McCartney launched a fashion house in her name, which quickly became a global brand. Name Variations The following are variations of the name Stella: Estella (Spanish) Estelle (Latin) Estrella (Spanish) Starla (English) Stela (Latin) Similar Names Similar sounding names to Stella include: BellaEllaEmmaMayellaSadella Other Italian girl names include: AlessandraCamillaCatarinaClaudiaElisaLiviaLaraLucianaValentina Other girl names that start with "S" include: SadieSamanthaSandraSarahSavannahScarletSheaSiennaSophiaStephanieSummerSusy Suggested Sibling Names Looking for a sibling name for Stella? Here are some popular options: Ava Celeste Chloe Cosmos Felipe Gemma Joaquin Nova Orion Pasqual Sebastien Skye Famous People Named Stella With a name like Stella, it's no wonder that these luminous personas have risen to fame. The popularity of the name has also spawned many fictional characters with the spunky moniker. Famous Stellas Stella Zakharova, Olympic gymnast for the former Soviet UnionStella Parton, American country music singer-songwriter and sister of Dolly PartonStella Bennett, New Zealand singer-songwriterStella Nina McCartney, English fashion designer and daughter of the singer-songwriter Sir Paul McCartney Stella Teodora Hudgens, American singer and actressStella Tennant, British model and granddaughter of Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire Stella Stevens, American film, television, and stage actress from the 1950s and 1960sStella Banderas, actress and daughter of actors Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas Fictional Stellas Stella, a female galah bird in the Angry Birds series who has her own spin-off called Angry Birds StellaStella Bonasera, character in television series CSI: NYStella Bonnaro, character in Cowboy Bebop, a Japanese science-fiction neo-noir anime television seriesStella Crawford, character in the BBC soap opera EastEndersStella Kowalski, character in the play A Streetcar Named DesireStella Malone, character in the Disney Channel series JonasStella the Star Fairy, a character from the Rainbow Magic book franchiseStella Zhau, from the American animated series The Loud House More Baby Names Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: Top 1,000 Baby Girl Names 50 Creative Baby Names 36 Fantasy Baby Names Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Popular Names in 2022. Social Security Administration. 2022.