Stella

For many more names, please return to Edgar's Main Page.

Stella

Gender: Feminine
Language: English
Etymology:
Stella is an English name meaning “Star,” from the Latin word “stella.”

Stella is also used as a short form of the names Estella , Estelle, and Esther, three names that it is related to etymologically, but not historically.

History:

The Latin word “stella” was first used in conjunction with a name when it was used as part of a title given to the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, or “Star of the Sea.” As such, it may have been given as a first name to medieval girls in her honor. E.G. Withycombe in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names (1977, 3rd ed.) cites one such case in 1379.

Stella the modern name was created in the 1580s. It was first used by Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586) as a pseudonym for Lady Penelope Rich in his poem Astrophel and Stella. Afterwards, it was used occasionally as a nickname by learned, literary types. For example, Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) called his friend Esther Johnson “Stella”).

In the 19th century, Stella became fairly common as a real first name, being initially used by romantic or literary parents. It remained common until the 1950s, when it began to decline.

Stella, however, experienced a revival at the very end of the 20th century, when feminine names ending in “ah” or “lah” became trendy.

Pronunciation: stell-ah.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Stella Gibbons (1902-1989)
English novelist.

Fictional Characters:
Stella Kowalski (play 1947; film 1951)
From Tennessee William’s play A Streetcar Named Desire.

Singers and Entertainers:
Stella Adler (1901-1992)
American actress.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.085 % named Stella

Popularity of Stella:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 351st most popular.
1875: 77th most popular.
1880: 60th most popular.
1881: 64th most popular.
1882: 61st most popular.
1883: 59th most popular.
1884: 60th most popular.
1885: 57th most popular.
1886: 57th most popular.
1887: 59th most popular.
1888: 64th most popular.
1889: 55th most popular.
1890: 56th most popular.
1891: 59th most popular.
1892: 59th most popular.
1893: 63rd most popular.
1894: 61st most popular.
1895: 60th most popular.
1896: 60th most popular.
1897: 64th most popular.
1898: 65th most popular.
1899: 62nd most popular.
1900: 68th most popular.
1901: 65th most popular.
1902: 63rd most popular.
1903: 64th most popular.
1904: 68th most popular.
1905: 67th most popular.
1906: 65th most popular.
1907: 70th most popular.
1908: 67th most popular.
1909: 70th most popular.
1910: 72nd most popular.
1911: 72nd most popular.
1912: 73rd most popular.
1913: 69th most popular.
1914: 65th most popular.
1915: 64th most popular.
1916: 63rd most popular.
1917: 62nd most popular.
1918: 67th most popular.
1919: 70th most popular.
1920: 82nd most popular.
1921: 85th most popular.
1922: 90th most popular.
1923: 96th most popular.
1924: 105th most popular.
1925: 114th most popular.
1926: 121st most popular.
1927: 124th most popular.
1928: 130th most popular.
1929: 136th most popular.
1930: 140th most popular.
1931: 142nd most popular.
1932: 150th most popular.
1933: 164th most popular.
1934: 170th most popular.
1935: 187th most popular.
1936: 186th most popular.
1937: 195th most popular.
1938: 200th most popular.
1939: 188th most popular.
1940: 192nd most popular.
1941: 184th most popular.
1942: 187th most popular.
1943: 188th most popular.
1944: 196th most popular.
1945: 198th most popular.
1946: 209th most popular.
1947: 200th most popular.
1948: 201st most popular.
1949: 216th most popular.
1950: 227th most popular.
1951: 240th most popular.
1952: 248th most popular.
1953: 262nd most popular.
1954: 291st most popular.
1955: 305th most popular.
1956: 316th most popular.
1957: 337th most popular.
1958: 352nd most popular.
1959: 378th most popular.
1960: 382nd most popular.
1961: 393rd most popular.
1962: 379th most popular.
1963: 412th most popular.
1964: 411th most popular.
1965: 412th most popular.
1966: 455th most popular.
1967: 467th most popular.
1968: 513th most popular.
1969: 554th most popular.
1970: 543rd most popular.
1971: 589th most popular.
1972: 577th most popular.
1973: 641st most popular.
1974: 624th most popular.
1975: 629th most popular.
1976: 720th most popular.
1977: 678th most popular.
1978: 668th most popular.
1979: 752nd most popular.
1980: 734th most popular.
1981: 737th most popular.
1982: 755th most popular.
1983: 766th most popular.
1984: 832nd most popular.
1985: 984th most popular.
1986: N/A
1987: 972nd most popular.
1988-1996: N/A
1997: 977th most popular.
1998: 934th most popular.
1999: 727th most popular.
2000: 662nd most popular.
2001: 593rd most popular.
2002: 496th most popular.
2003: 378th most popular.
2004: 291st most popular.

In France...
1900-1999: N/A
2000: 183rd most popular.

Selected Sources:
The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Withycombe, 1977, 3rd ed.
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999
The Wordsworth Dictionary of First Names, Mcleod and Freedman, 1995

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 (www.ssa.gov) - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880, and other information (it is available on-line at www.familysearch.org)