Find out how popular the first name Ella has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Ella by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Ella is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Ella being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 5,643 female babies and 5 male babies born with the name Ella.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 5 baby boys were named Ella in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Ella

The name Ella is a shortened form of the Germanic name Eleanor, which means "shining light" or "bright one." It is derived from the Old Provençal phrase "Alia Elionor," which translates to "the other Aenor." The name Eleanor itself is a combination of the Germanic elements "ali" meaning "other" and "nora" meaning "honor."

Ella became popular as a independent name in the 19th century, particularly in English-speaking countries like the United States and Britain. It was used as a diminutive for Eleanor, but also gained popularity as a stand-alone name. The shorter form Ella was seen as more modern and fashionable than the more traditional Eleanor.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Ella dates back to the 9th century, when an Anglo-Saxon princess named Ella lived in England. She was the daughter of King Aethelred I of Wessex and was known for her piety and charitable works.

In the 12th century, the name Ella appeared in the French epic poem "The Song of Roland," where it was the name of a character who was the wife of one of Charlemagne's knights. This literary reference helped to popularize the name in Europe during the Middle Ages.

Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Ella. These include Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), the famous American jazz singer known as the "First Lady of Song," and Ella Baker (1903-1986), an influential African-American civil rights activist who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders of the civil rights movement.

Other famous Ellas include Ella Reeve Bloor (1862-1951), an American labor organizer and socialist activist; Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919), a popular American poet and writer; and Ella Grase (1889-1916), a Latvian writer and feminist who played a significant role in the Latvian National Awakening movement.

While the name Ella has experienced periods of greater and lesser popularity over the centuries, it has remained a beloved choice for parents in many parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, where its Germanic roots and association with light and honor have endured.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Ella was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ella, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!