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

Popularity of Nella by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Nella is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 60 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Nella.

The history of the first name Nella

Nella is a feminine given name with roots in several European languages. It is believed to have originated as a diminutive or pet form of the Italian name Aniela, which derives from the Greek name Anelia, itself a variation of the biblical name Ananias, meaning "favored by God" or "graced by the Lord".

The name Nella can also be traced back to the Slavic name Nela, a diminutive of the name Nadezhda, meaning "hope". This Slavic variant was popular in countries like Russia, Poland, and the Czech Republic, where it was sometimes spelled as Niela or Nela.

Another possible origin of the name Nella is the German diminutive form of the name Petronella, which itself is derived from the Latin name Petronius, meaning "related to stone". This German variant was commonly used in regions like Bavaria and Austria.

In ancient texts, the name Nella is not widely documented, but the name Anelia is mentioned in some Greek and Roman records, indicating its early use in those cultures.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Nella is Nella Barozzi (1590-1644), an Italian singer and composer who was renowned for her madrigals and sacred works. Another notable figure is Nella Larsen (1891-1964), an American novelist and writer of the Harlem Renaissance, best known for her novels "Quicksand" and "Passing".

Other historical figures with the name Nella include Nella Vučković (1909-1987), a Croatian writer and translator, and Nella Braddy Henney (1899-1984), an American lawyer and civil rights activist who fought for women's rights and racial equality.

In the realm of literature, the name Nella appears in several works, such as the character Nella in the novel "The Mill on the Floss" by George Eliot, and the protagonist Nella in the children's book series "Nella the Princess Knight" by Christine Ricci.

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 Nella was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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