Holding steady, #10,917 for girls today.
Popularity of Stela since 2000
Babies named Stela per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 51 |
| 2010s | 94 |
| 2020s | 59 |
Meaning & origin
Stela is a name that emerged in U.S. records in 2000, reaching its peak popularity in 2021. As of 2025, it ranked 10,917th, with an incidence of about 1 in 200,908 births, placing it in the rarer tier of names. Its trajectory has been stable, suggesting a steady but not overwhelming adoption. While it has no strong regional ties in the U.S., its Latin origin connects it to the widespread Stella family of names, offering a slightly less common alternative.
Stela is typically a diminutive or short form of names such as Estela or Estella, ultimately deriving from the Latin 'stella' meaning 'star'. It can also be a variant spelling of Stella. The name has seen use across Europe and the Americas, particularly in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking regions.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Stela
Names that share Stela's style, for a brother or sister.
