Ella

Meaning: Possibly the other Aenor
Origin: Occitan — Short form of Eleanor

Meaning: Uncertain; possibly shining light or torch
Origin: Greek — Short form of Ellen

Girl's name · #29 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Popularity over time

Ella was #13 in 1880, slipped to #1152 by 1987, and has climbed back to #29 today. Roughly 351,000 girls have been named Ella since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Ella is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

Ella is especially popular in Finland (Swedish-sp.), Norway, and Germany.

#3 in Finland (Swedish-sp.) (2025) · #4 in Norway (2025) · #6 in Germany (2025) · #7 in Denmark (2025) · #8 in Sweden (2025) · #11 in Australia (NSW) (2025) · #12 in Belgium (2025) · #13 in New Zealand (2025) · #14 in Scotland (2025) · #16 in Australia (VIC) (2025) · #16 in Finland (Finnish-sp.) (2025) · #17 in Ireland (2025) and 17 more.

Famous Ellas

Ella Fitzgerald — American jazz singer (1917–1996)
Ella Purnell — British actress (born 1996)
Ella Josephine Baker — American civil rights activist (1903–1986)
Ella Balinska — English actress (born 1996)
Ella Langley — American country singer-songwriter (born 1999)

In stories & tradition

Ella Hart — Fictional character from Emmerdale
Ella Simms^fr — Melrose Place (TV series)
Ella Dee — Hex (TV series)

What Ellas become

Among 1,100 notable people named Ella:

Entertainers appear 1.8× more often than among typical names — e.g. Ella Fitzgerald, American jazz singer (1917–1996).

Twin names

Popular twin pairings with Ella include Emma, Ava, and Olivia for girls, and Ethan, Eli, and Jackson for boys.

Similar names: Ellie · Lucy · Elena · Stella · Ivy · Ava

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service