Girl name · Germanic
Ella
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: short form of names such as Elisabeth and EleonoreElla is a girl's name that is of Germanic origin: short form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore. It is used in English and German.
- Meaning
- Short form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #29 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ella
As a girl's name, Ella is of Germanic origin: short form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore. It is used in English and German.
In German, say EL-ah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Ella on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ella on 2 lists.
“A short form of Eleonora and names ending in -ella; 6th in 2025. Say EL-ah”
From German girl names, popular German girl names
“Jazz royalty, for a girl with a sweet howl”
From Girl dog names, royal and diva names for girl dogs
How popular is Ella?
- US rank in 2025
- #29
- 5,831 babies, 3,628 per million girls
- Best rank
- #12 in 2011
- Most babies: 9,884 in 2010
- Babies since 1880
- At least 351,313
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 10,616 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 7,685 per million |
| 1900s | 5,043 per million |
| 1910s | 3,054 per million |
| 1920s | 2,470 per million |
| 1930s | 1,872 per million |
| 1940s | 1,103 per million |
| 1950s | 574 per million |
| 1960s | 283 per million |
| 1970s | 136 per million |
| 1980s | 92 per million |
| 1990s | 216 per million |
| 2000s | 3,656 per million |
| 2010s | 4,909 per million |
| 2020s | 3,897 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17 | #16 | #15 | #13 | #15 | #16 | #25 | #32 | #30 | #29 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Ella
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ÉalaSwan (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- ElaHazel (Turkish, girl)
- ElzaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- EulaSweetly speaking (Greek, girl)
- EmmaWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- ElisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- MilanGracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names (Slavic, unisex)
- ElianVariant of names beginning with Eli, such as Elijah (Hebrew, boy)
- MiraPeace, from Slavic Mir- names; in Sanskrit, sea (Slavic, girl)
- NorahVariant of Nora, short form of Honora or Eleanor (Latin, girl)
- XanderShort form of Alexander, defender of men (Greek, boy)
- AnyaShort form of Anna, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AstaShort form of Astrid, divinely beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
- BellaShort form of Isabella; also Italian for beautiful (Hebrew, girl)
- BognaPet form of Bogdana and other Bog- names (Polish, girl)
- BrielleShort form of Gabrielle, God is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- CalliePet form of Caroline, or of names beginning with Cal (Germanic, girl)
- DashaShort form of Darya, holding firm the good (Persian, girl)
- DimaShort form of Dmitri, devoted to Demeter (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Ella
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- FenellaWhite shoulder (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- GemmaGem, precious stone (Latin, girl)
- HonorEsteem, dignity (Latin, girl)
- IsabellaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- MarigoldMary's gold (English, girl)
- MercyCompassion, forgiveness (Latin, girl)
- PrudenceForesight, good sense (Latin, girl)
- SabineSabine woman (Latin, girl)
More girl names from Germanic
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CarolineFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- HildaBattle, combat (Germanic, girl)
- MatildaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- RobertaBright fame (Germanic, girl)
- BernadetteBrave bear (Germanic, girl)
- CarolinaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CharlieFree man (Germanic, unisex)
- ClotildeFamous battle (Germanic, girl)
Ella: common questions
What does the name Ella mean?
Ella is of Germanic origin: short form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore.
Is Ella a boy or girl name?
Ella is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Ella come from?
Ella is of Germanic origin: short form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore. Today it is used in English and German.
How popular is the name Ella?
Ella ranked #29 in the US in 2025, with 5,831 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Ella?
Names spelled like Ella include Elsa, Éala, Ela, Elza and Eula.
What middle names go with Ella?
Middle names that flow well with Ella include Fenella, Gemma, Honor, Isabella and Marigold. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.