Name meaning & stats
Stela
Stela means “star” (Latin origin). 204 US babies since 1940, peak 2021. Notable Stelas are 1.3× over-represented as basketball players.
What it means
“star”
LatinSpelling of Stella
Stella around the world
- Стелла · Russian
- Стелла · Ukrainian
- Στέλλα · Greek
- ستيلا · Arabic
- סטלה · Hebrew
- ステラ · Japanese
- 斯泰拉 · Chinese
- Stjarna · Icelandic
- Stela · Polish
- Stélla · French
Famous Stellas
- Stella McCartney · British fashion designer (born 1971)
- Stella Mwangi · Kenyan-Norwegian singer, rapper and songwriter
- Stella Adler · American actress and acting teacher (1901–1992)
- Stella Stevens · American actress (1938–2023)
Stella’s name day
- August 15 · Sweden
- December 25 · Latvia
- November 26 · Greece, Cyprus
In US birth records
Peak year: 2021
204 US babies were named Stela between 1940 and 2025.
Stela around the world
- France: 150 babies since 1900, peak 2022, No. 3,142 in 2025
- England & Wales: 45 babies since 1996, peak 2011
From official birth registries. Sources are listed on About the data.
Where Stelas end up
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Actor | 1.1× | Low · 3 people |
| Politician | 1.1× | Low · 3 people |
| Basketball player | 1.3× | Low · 2 people |
| Professor | 1.0× | Low · 1 people |
Among notable women who are basketball players, Stelas show up 1.3× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.
Notable people of every nationality born 1940–2005 (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.
Other spellings
1 in 563 Stellas spell it Stela
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 2021)