Stella
STEL-uh /ˈstɛl.ə/
Meaning of Stella
Stella is the Latin word for 'star.' It first appears as a personal name in Sir Philip Sidney's 1591 sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella, and was used poetically before becoming a settled given name in the 19th century. Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) gave the name a lasting cultural anchor.
Current popularity of Stella
Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.
| Registry | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| United States (SSA) | 2024 | #31 |
| Italy (ISTAT) | 2024 | #18 |
Notable bearers of Stella
Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire (1947); Stella McCartney (designer).
Similar names & variants
Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.
Sibling-name suggestions
Names that pair stylistically with Stella — useful as middle names or for siblings.
About this entry
Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31