Stela
Meaning "pillar" or "column" in Greek or Latin origin.
Name Census estimates that about 194 living Americans carry the first name Stela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Stela today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Stela births was 2021 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Stela. 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
194
~ 1 in 1,766,775 Americans
Peak year
2021
14 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,337
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Stela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Stela from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 94 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Stela remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Stela 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 Stela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Stela
The name Stela originated from the Latin word "stela," which means a stone slab or pillar used for commemorative purposes, often inscribed with names, dates, and other details. This name has its roots in ancient Roman culture and can be traced back to the early centuries of the Common Era.
The earliest recorded use of the name Stela can be found in ancient Roman inscriptions and artifacts, where it was often used to commemorate important events or individuals. Some of the earliest known examples include a funerary stela from the 2nd century AD, which bore the name of a woman named Stela Aurelia.
Throughout history, the name Stela has been associated with various notable individuals. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Stela, a 5th-century saint and martyr from the Byzantine Empire, who was canonized for her unwavering faith and sacrifice.
In the realm of literature, Stela was the name of a character in the epic poem "Aeneid" by the Roman poet Virgil, written in the 1st century BC. This literary reference further solidified the name's association with ancient Roman culture.
Another notable figure with this name was Stela Balmushi, a 12th-century Albanian noblewoman and military leader, who played a significant role in the defense of her homeland against foreign invaders.
In the world of art, Stela was the name of a renowned 15th-century Italian painter and illuminator, known for her exquisite religious works and illuminated manuscripts.
While the name Stela may not be as widely used today as it once was, it remains a unique and historically significant name, carrying with it the echoes of ancient Roman culture and the enduring legacies of those who bore it throughout the ages.
People
Stela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Stela as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Stela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Stela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 194 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Stela 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 1,766,775 US residents.
Is Stela a common name?
We classify Stela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 196 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Stela most popular?
The single biggest year for Stela was 2021, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Stela is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Stela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Stela 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.