Estelle
Star of brilliance or resplendence; from the Latin stella meaning "star".
Name Census estimates that about 12,049 living Americans carry the first name Estelle. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Estelle today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Estelle births was 1915 (1,793 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Estelle. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Estelle is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 159 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
12K
~ 1 in 28,447 Americans
Peak year
1915
1,793 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
1943 SSA rank
#636
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Estelle
Out of the 56,046 babies given the name Estelle since 1880, 99.7% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Estelle as a male name
- Ranked #3,697 in 1943
- 5 male births in 1943
- Peak: 1918 (13 births)
Estelle as a female name
- Ranked #636 in 2024
- 462 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1915 (1,784 births)
Popularity
Estelle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Estelle from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 13,867 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Estelle by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Estelle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Estelles live
The SSA's state-level files cover 44 states and territories. New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Estelle, while Montana, Vermont, Hawaii recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 929 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Estelle
The name Estelle has its origins in the French language, derived from the Latin word "stella" meaning "star." This name became popular during the Middle Ages, particularly in France and regions influenced by French culture.
The earliest recorded use of the name Estelle dates back to the 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Estelle de Montanmart, a French noblewoman who lived during the 12th century. She was known for her charitable works and patronage of the arts.
In the 13th century, the name Estelle gained popularity among royalty and nobility. Estelle de Courtenay, a French princess who lived from 1241 to 1290, was a prominent figure during the Crusades. She married Humphrey de Bohun, an English nobleman, and played a significant role in the political affairs of the time.
The name Estelle also appeared in literary works, such as the 16th-century French epic poem "La Franciade" by Pierre de Ronsard, where a character named Estelle was featured. This helped to further popularize the name among the French nobility and upper classes.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Estelle. One of the most famous was Estelle Ries, a French activist and feminist who lived from 1909 to 1995. She was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement and fought for gender equality.
Another notable Estelle was Estelle Getty, an American actress born in 1923 and best known for her role as Sophia Petrillo on the sitcom "The Golden Girls." She won numerous awards, including an Emmy, for her portrayal of the witty and sarcastic character.
Estelle Liebling, an American opera singer who lived from 1880 to 1970, was also a prominent figure in the world of classical music. She was known for her powerful soprano voice and performances in operas by composers such as Wagner and Verdi.
Estelle Massey Osborne, born in 1901, was an American writer and journalist. She gained recognition for her novel "Bright Cameo," which explored themes of race and identity in the American South during the early 20th century.
Estelle Parsons, born in 1927, is an American actress and theatre director. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 1967 film "Bonnie and Clyde." She has also had a successful career on stage, appearing in numerous Broadway productions.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Estelle
People
Estelle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Estelle as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Estelle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Estelle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12,049 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Estelle going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 28,447 US residents.
Is Estelle a common name?
We classify Estelle as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 56,046 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Estelle most popular?
The single biggest year for Estelle was 1915, when 1,793 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Estelle is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Estelle a female name?
Yes, 99.7% of people registered as Estelle in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.