Girl · #50 in 2026

Stella

Stella is a female given name. It is derived from the Latin word for star. It has been in use in English-speaking countries since it was first used by Philip Sidney in Astrophel and Stella, his 1580s sonnet sequence. Use might also have increased due to Stella Maris as a title for the Virgin Mary by Catholics. Alternately, it is a feminine version of the Greek name Stylianos, meaning pillar.

Current Rank
#50
Peak Rank
#38 (2018)
Total Babies
211K
5-Yr Trend
-11%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2018
Peak Year
#38
Peak Rank
211K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Stella

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

Stella is a female given name. It is derived from the Latin word for star. It has been in use in English-speaking countries since it was first used by Philip Sidney in Astrophel and Stella, his 1580s sonnet sequence. Use might also have increased due to Stella Maris as a title for the Virgin Mary by Catholics. Alternately, it is a feminine version of the Greek name Stylianos, meaning pillar.

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

The Story of Stella

Stella first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 414 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 5,163 Stellas were born — ranking #38 that year. As of 2026, Stella ranks #50 for baby girls with 4,222 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 211K Stellas 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

Names that sound like Stella

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

  • Stela
  • Stilla
  • Stelo
  • Stelly
  • Stola
  • Stalla
  • Stelae
  • Stilly
  • Stilley
  • Stealth
  • Stellar
  • Steller

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Stella

What does the name Stella mean?
Stella is a female given name. It is derived from the Latin word for star. It has been in use in English-speaking countries since it was first used by Philip Sidney in Astrophel and Stella, his 1580s sonnet sequence. Use might also have increased due to Stella Maris as a title for the Virgin Mary by Catholics. Alternately, it is a feminine version of the Greek name Stylianos, meaning pillar.
How popular is Stella in 2026?
In 2026, Stella ranks #50 among girls' names in the U.S., with 4,222 babies given the name that year.
When was Stella most popular?
Stella reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #38 that year with 5,163 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Stella most popular?
Stella has historically been most popular in U.S. Territories, Alaska, Iowa. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Stella.
Is Stella a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Stella is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Stella?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Stella include Katie, Paula, Geraldine. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Katie
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Paula
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👧
Geraldine
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👧
Agnes
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👧
Bernice
Peak #39
👧
June
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Monica
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Lorraine
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About the name Stella

Stella is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 211K births in the dataset. Stella's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #38. Use the chart and map above to compare Stella'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.