Fontella
A variant of the Italian name Fontana, meaning "small fountain" or "small spring".
Name Census estimates that about 319 living Americans carry the first name Fontella. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Fontella today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fontella births was 1966 (104 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fontella. 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.
People living today
319
~ 1 in 1,074,465 Americans
Peak year
1966
104 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1990 SSA rank
#11,860
Tracked since 1900
Popularity
Fontella: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fontella from the 1900s through to the 1990s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 233 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fontella 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 Fontella during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fontellas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Georgia, Alabama, Illinois recorded the most babies named Fontella, while South Carolina, Ohio, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Fontella
The name Fontella has its roots in the Italian language and can be traced back to the late 19th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "fonte," which means "fountain" or "source." The name was likely inspired by the beauty and serenity of natural springs and waterfalls.
One of the earliest known instances of the name Fontella can be found in the records of a small village in northern Italy from the 1880s. It was given to a baby girl born to a family of farmers, perhaps reflecting their appreciation for the life-giving properties of water in their agricultural community.
Throughout the early 20th century, the name Fontella gained some popularity in Italy, particularly in rural areas where the connection to nature and water sources held significant cultural and practical importance. However, it remained a relatively uncommon name outside of certain regions.
Historically, there are a few notable individuals who bore the name Fontella. One of the earliest was Fontella Moneta, an Italian poet and writer who lived in the late 15th century. Her works, though not widely known today, were celebrated in her time for their lyrical beauty and exploration of themes related to nature and the human experience.
In more recent history, Fontella Bass (1940-2012) was an American singer and songwriter best known for her hit "Rescue Me" in 1965. Her rich, soulful voice and captivating stage presence earned her a place in the annals of rhythm and blues music.
Another notable Fontella was Fontella Treadwell (1907-1986), an American educator and advocate for equal rights. She dedicated her life to promoting educational opportunities for underprivileged communities and played a pivotal role in the desegregation of schools in her home state of North Carolina.
While not a household name, Fontella Moniz (1923-2003) was a respected artist in her native Portugal. Her vibrant paintings, often depicting scenes of daily life and the natural landscapes of her country, earned her recognition and numerous exhibitions throughout her career.
Finally, Fontella Jacobsen (1919-2004) was a Norwegian journalist and author who gained acclaim for her insightful reporting on social and political issues. Her work shed light on important topics and helped shape public discourse in Norway during the latter half of the 20th century.
People
Fontella + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fontella as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Fontella: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fontella?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 319 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fontella 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 1,074,465 US residents.
Is Fontella a common name?
We classify Fontella as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 589 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fontella most popular?
The single biggest year for Fontella was 1966, when 104 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fontella is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fontella a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fontella 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.