girl's name
Ella
EL-uh
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 470,669
the United States
#29
2025 births
Ella is a girl's name with two distinct origins. The Norman French line derives from the Germanic element ali, meaning other or foreign, while a Hebrew line gives Ella as a word for a terebinth tree. It also serves as a short form of Eleanor, Isabella, and Gabriella.
- Ella is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 2010, when 9,898 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 569 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ella over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 13,967 |
| 1890s | 17,118 |
| 1900s | 14,841 |
| 1910s | 25,002 |
| 1920s | 29,684 |
| 1930s | 20,121 |
| 1940s | 16,080 |
| 1950s | 11,066 |
| 1960s | 5,195 |
| 1970s | 2,096 |
| 1980s | 1,576 |
| 1990s | 3,897 |
| 2000s | 67,644 |
| 2010s | 85,993 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 37,934 |
What Ella means
Ella's meaning depends on the line you follow: the Germanic root gives a sense of other or foreign, while the Hebrew Elah names the terebinth, a tree of the Levant. In much modern use it functions as a short form and carries no meaning of its own.
Where Ella comes from
Ella reached English through the Normans as a form of Germanic names beginning with the element ali, meaning other or foreign, and appears in England from the medieval period. A separate Hebrew word, elah, names the terebinth tree and is used as a given name in Israel, converging on the same English spelling. Ella also arose independently as a clipped form of longer names ending in -ella, including Isabella, Gabriella, and Eleanor, which is how most English speakers encounter it today. These three routes are unrelated, so reference works list the Germanic, Hebrew, and short-form explanations separately rather than resolving them into one.
How popular is Ella?
In 2025, Ella was given to 5,831 babies in the United States, ranking #29 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Ella is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Ella is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Élla | Élla is a rare spelling of Ella, written with an acute accent and recorded about 40 times, mostly in France. | 40 |
| Ëlla | Ëlla is a rare spelling of Ella, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Ella
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ella also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ella over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ella
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ella in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ella
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ella — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ella
What does the name Ella mean?
Ella has more than one origin — the Germanic line gives "other" or "foreign," while a Hebrew line names the terebinth tree.
Is Ella short for Eleanor?
It can be, and also for Isabella and Gabriella, but Ella is long established as a name in its own right.
How old is the name Ella?
Ella appears in England from the medieval period, arriving with Norman naming traditions.
How popular is the name Ella?
In 2025, Ella was given to 5,831 babies in the United States, ranking #29 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Ella a girl's or a boy's name?
Ella is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ella?
Ella has 2 syllables.
When was Ella most popular?
Ella peaked in 2010, when 9,898 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ella?
Ella is usually shortened to Elle.
Is Ella a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ella currently ranks #9 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.