Girl name · Latin
Stella
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: a starStella is a girl's name that comes from Latin and means "a star". It is used in English and Italian.
- Meaning
- A star
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #52 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Stella
As a girl's name, Stella comes from Latin and means "a star". It is used in English and Italian.
In Italian, say STEL-lah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Stella on our names that mean star list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Stella on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Stella on 7 lists.
“Latin for star, for a doe who leads the way”
From Reindeer names, girl reindeer names
“Latin for star, for a cat who shines”
From Female cat names, classic girl cat names
“Latin for star, she shines at the dog park”
From Girl dog names, popular girl dog names
“Star; Latin. Bright Italian classic”
From Girl middle names, gem and celestial middle names
“A star; Latin. Say STEL-lah”
From Italian girl names, italian girl names that work in English
“A star; Latin, coined by the poet Philip Sidney”
From Names that mean star, star names for girls
“A star; Latin. Coined by poet Philip Sidney”
From Vintage girl names, old fashioned girl names from the 1900s to 1920s
How popular is Stella?
- US rank in 2025
- #52
- 4,136 babies, 2,573 per million girls
- Best rank
- #38 in 2018
- 5,164 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 206,906
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 4,670 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 4,414 per million |
| 1900s | 3,762 per million |
| 1910s | 3,497 per million |
| 1920s | 2,167 per million |
| 1930s | 1,051 per million |
| 1940s | 784 per million |
| 1950s | 447 per million |
| 1960s | 271 per million |
| 1970s | 166 per million |
| 1980s | 109 per million |
| 1990s | 100 per million |
| 2000s | 641 per million |
| 2010s | 2,527 per million |
| 2020s | 2,787 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #45 | #42 | #38 | #40 | #42 | #41 | #40 | #46 | #49 | #52 |
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.
Other forms of Stella
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- EstellaA star (Latin, girl)
- EstelleA star (Latin, girl)
Names spelled like Stella
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- SheilaFrom the Roman family name Caecilius (Latin, girl)
- SelvaForest, jungle (Latin, girl)
- StarlaA star (English, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- EstherPossibly star (Persian, girl)
- AkhtarA star (Persian, unisex)
- AstraeaStar (Greek, girl)
- EstelaStar (Latin, girl)
- LeiaForm of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars (Hebrew, girl)
- MaristelaStar of the sea (Latin, girl)
- NajmuddinStar of the faith (Arabic, boy)
- NovaNew, a new star (Latin, girl)
- ParvinThe Pleiades star cluster (Persian, unisex)
- SorayaThe Pleiades star cluster (Arabic, girl)
Middle names for Stella
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Latin
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- EmiliaRival, striving to equal (Latin, girl)
- FloraFlower, blossom (Latin, girl)
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- ReginaQueen (Latin, girl)
- ValentinaStrong, healthy (Latin, girl)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
Stella: common questions
What does the name Stella mean?
Stella comes from Latin and means "a star".
Is Stella a boy or girl name?
Stella is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Stella come from?
Stella comes from Latin and means "a star". Today it is used in English and Italian.
How popular is the name Stella?
Stella ranked #52 in the US in 2025, with 4,136 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Stella?
Forms of Stella with the same meaning and origin include Estella (English) and Estelle (English).
What middle names go with Stella?
Middle names that flow well with Stella include Daisy, Hope, Iris, Jade and Jean. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.