Girl · #38 in 2026

Ella

Ella is a personal name most often used as a feminine given name, but also as a surname, especially in Australia. In Greek mythology, Ella was the daughter of Athamas and Nephele. The name may be a cognate with Hellas (Ἑλλάς), the Greek name for Greece, which is said to have originally been the name of the region around Dodona.

  • English
  • German
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
Current Rank
#38
Peak Rank
#12 (2010)
Total Babies
356K
5-Yr Trend
-27%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2010
Peak Year
#12
Peak Rank
356K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ella

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Ella is a personal name most often used as a feminine given name, but also as a surname, especially in Australia. In Greek mythology, Ella was the daughter of Athamas and Nephele. The name may be a cognate with Hellas (Ἑλλάς), the Greek name for Greece, which is said to have originally been the name of the region around Dodona.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • German
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • Finnish
  • Hungarian

The Story of Ella

American parents first put Ella on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 1,156 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2010, when 9,883 Ellas were born — ranking #13 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 24% of all recorded Ellas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #38 among baby girl names with 5,136 births, falling sharply (-27%). In total, more than 356K Ellas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Ella

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Ella. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Ella

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ella is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ella

What does the name Ella mean?
Ella is a personal name most often used as a feminine given name, but also as a surname, especially in Australia. In Greek mythology, Ella was the daughter of Athamas and Nephele. The name may be a cognate with Hellas (Ἑλλάς), the Greek name for Greece, which is said to have originally been the name of the region around Dodona.
What is the origin of the name Ella?
Ella has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian.
How popular is Ella in 2026?
In 2026, Ella ranks #38 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5,136 babies given the name that year.
When was Ella most popular?
Ella reached its peak popularity in 2010, ranking #12 that year with 9,883 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Ella most popular?
Ella has historically been most popular in U.S. Territories, North Dakota, Minnesota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ella.
Is Ella a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Ella is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Ella?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ella include Christina, Jean, Avery. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Ella?
Common variants and related forms of Ella include Alena, Bess, Bessie, Beth, Betsy, Bette. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

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Jean
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Avery
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Edna
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Dolores
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About the name Ella

Ella is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 356K births in the dataset. Ella's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #12. Use the chart and map above to compare Ella's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.