Stella is a female given name. It is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

word for ''

star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

''. It has been in use in

English-speaking countries The following is a list of English-speaking population by country, including information on both native speakers and second-language speakers. List * The European Union is a supranational union composed of 27 member states. The total E ...

since it was first used by

Philip Sidney Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

in '' Astrophel and Stella'', his 1580s

sonnet sequence A sonnet sequence is a group of sonnets thematically unified to create a long work, although generally, unlike the stanza, each sonnet so connected can also be read as a meaningful separate unit. The sonnet sequence was a very popular genre during ...

. Use might also have increased due to '' Stella Maris'' as a title for the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. Alternately, it is a feminine version of the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

name '' Stylianos'', meaning ''

pillar A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

''.

Popularity

Stella is a well-used name in recent years, among the most popular names for newborn girls in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, and

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

List of people with the given name Stella

Arts and entertainment

* Stella, stage name of Stella Huang, singer-actress * Stella Abrera, Filipino-American ballet dancer *

Stella Adler Stella Adler (February 10, 1901 – December 21, 1992) was an American actress and acting teacher.
''

Stella Arbenina Stella Arbenina, Baroness Meyendorff (Стелла Арбенина) (27 September 1884 – 26 April 1976) was a Russian-born English actress. She was born Stella Zoe Whishaw in St. Petersburg tRobert Cattley Whishaw and Mary (née Gisiko) Her ...

, Russian-born actress * Stella Bennett or Benee (born 2000), New Zealand singer-songwriter *

Stella Benson Stella Benson (6 January 1892 – 7 December 1933) was an English feminist, novelist, poet, and travel writer. She was a recipient of the Benson Medal. Early life Benson was born to Ralph Beaumont Benson (1862–1911), a member of the landed ...

, English feminist, travel writer, and novelist * Stella Blandy (1836-1925), French woman of letters, feminist * Stella Bowen, Australian artist * Stella Brennan (born 1974), New Zealand artist, curator, and essayist * Stella Chitty (1928–2005), British stage manager *

Stella Chiweshe Stella Chiweshe (also Stella Rambisai Chiweshe, Stella Rambisai Chiweshe Nekati, Mbuya Stella Chiweshe, or Stella Nekati Chiweshe; 8 July 1946 – 20 January 2023) was a Zimbabwean musician. She was known internationally for her singing and pla ...

, Zimbabwean musician * Stella Ciarlantini, American actress and writer *

Stella Corkery Stella Corkery (born 1960) is a New Zealand visual artist and drummer, born in Tuatapere, New Zealand. Corkery's work is experimental and reflective, often commenting on contemporary ideas. She currently lives and works in Auckland, New Zealand ...

, New Zealand artist and musician *

Stella Dadzie Stella Dadzie (born in 1952, London) is a British educationalist, activist, writer and historian. She is best known for her involvement in the UK's Black Women's Movement, being a founding member of the Organisation of Women of African and Asi ...

(born 1952), British writer, historian, educationalist and activist * Stella Feehily, London-born Irish playwright and actress *

Stella Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association wit ...

, American actress * Stella Kon (born 1944), Singaporean playwright * Stella Weiner Kriegshaber (1879–1966), American pianist * Stella LeSaint (1881–1948), American silent film actress *

Stella Linden Stella Linden (born Stella Maris Marsden on 5 June 1919 - 23 January 2005) was an actress,stage director, author and script/screenwriter, best known for mentoring playwright John Osborne and for writing the film ''Two a Penny''. She was the wife ...

, actress and writer *

Stella Maessen Stella Maessen (born 6 August 1953 in Zandvoort, North Holland) is a Dutch singer, best known for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contests of 1970, 1977 and 1982. Hearts of Soul In 1969 Maessen and her older sisters Patricia and Bi ...

, Dutch singer * Stella Maeve, American actress *

Stella Malucchi Stella Malucchi ( th, สเตลล่า มาลูกี้) is an Italians, Italian-Colombians, Colombian former model and actress based in Thailand. Fluent in the Thai language, she has primarily worked in Thailand, and has acted in two film ...

(born 1977), Thai model and actress * Stella March, pen name of a British romance novelist * Stella Maxwell, Northern Irish model * Stella Meghie, Canadian film director and screenwriter *

Stella Moray Stella Moray (29 July 1923 – 6 August 2006) was an English character actress who appeared on stage, film and television in dramas, comedies and soap operas. She seldom headlined on stage but was a stalwart stand-in and understudy, and when sh ...

, English actress * Stella Mwangi, Norwegian-Kenyan singer * Stella Nickell, an American serial killer *

Stella Parton Stella Mae Parton (born May 4, 1949) is an American country singer and songwriter widely known for a series of country singles that charted during the mid-to-late-1970s, her biggest hit being "I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight" in 1975. Sh ...

, American country music singer/songwriter, sister of Dolly Parton * Stella Pevsner, author of children's books *

Stella Reid Stella Reid (born 3 October 1964) is an English nanny, author and television personality, known publicly as one of the stars of the reality television series '' Nanny 911''. She is co-author of ''The Nanny Chronicles of Hollywood'', ''Nanny 911 ...

, co-star of the Fox network reality television show ''Nanny 911'' * Stella Richman, British television producer *

Stella Roman Stella Roman (23 August 1904 – 12 February 1992) was a Romanian operatic soprano whose career brought her leading roles in Italy and the United States. Background and training Stella Roman (née Florica Viorica Alma Stela Blasu) was born i ...

, Romanian operatic soprano * Stella Seah (born 1992), Singaporean singer-songwriter * Stella Soleil, American pop and rock singer * Stella Stevens (born Estelle Eggleston), American model and actress *

Stella Steyn Stella Steyn (26 December 1907 – 21 July 1987) was an Irish artist. Life and career Steyn was born in Dublin in 1907 to William Steyn (a dentist) and Bertha Jaffe, who met and married in Limerick, having moved to Ireland from Akmenė, Lithu ...

, Irish artist * Stella Stocker, American composer and choral conductor * Stella Stratigou, Greek actress *

Stella Vander Stella Vander (born Stella Zelcer, also known as Stella; 12 December 1950) is a French singer and musician. Early years Born in Paris into a family of Polish immigrants, she began writing music in the early sixties together with her uncle Maurice ...

, French singer and musician * Stella Vine, English artist

Sports

Stella Ashcroft Stella Ashcroft (born 27 July 2002) is an artistic gymnast from New Zealand, specialising in the vault, beam and floor events. In 2018, she competed at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia. Ashcroft is from Christchurch, New Zeal ...

(born 2002), gymnast from New Zealand * Stella Barsosio, Kenyan long-distance runner * Stella Boumi, Greek swimmer * Stella Heiß, German curler * Stella de Heij, Dutch field hockey goalkeeper *

Stela Posavec Stela Posavec (born 26 August 1996) is a Croatian handballer for RK Lokomotiva Zagreb and the Croatian national team. She participated at the 2018 European Women's Handball Championship. She is Paula Posavec's twin sister. International honou ...

, Croatian handball player * Stella Pilatou, Greek long jumper *

Stella Tsikouna Styliani ("Stella") Tsikouna ( el, Στυλιανή "Στέλλα" Τσικούνα also written ''Stiliani Tsikouna,'' born October 19, 1972 in Chalcis) is a Greek discus thrower. Her personal best throw is 65.25 metres, achieved in May 2004 in ...

, Greek discus thrower *

Stella Zakharova Stella Zakharova (born 12 July 1963 in Odessa, Ukraine) is a retired gymnast who competed internationally for the former Soviet Union between 1977 and 1982. She was an Olympic and World Championship gold medalist in team competitions, and won in ...

, Olympic gymnast for the former Soviet Union

Politics

Stella Ambler Stella Ambler (born September 29, 1966) is a Canadian politician who served as the Member of Parliament for the federal electoral district of Mississauga South from 2011 to 2015. She is a member of the Conservative Party. Background Ambler's p ...

, Canadian politician *

Stella Creasy Stella Judith Creasy (born 5 April 1977) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for the London constituency of Walthamstow since 2010. She served in the frontbench teams of Ed Miliband and Harriet ...

, British Member of Parliament * Stella Dupont, French Member of Parliament * Stella Garza-Hicks, former Republican legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado *

Stella Goldschlag Stella Ingrid Goldschlag, also known as Stella Kübler-Isaacksohn and Stella Kübler (10 July 1922 – 26 October 1994) was a German Jewish woman who collaborated with the Gestapo during World War II, operating around Berlin exposing and den ...

(1922–1994), German Jewish woman who collaborated with the Gestapo during World War II, exposing and denouncing Berlin's underground Jews. * Stella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading, British political and military figure * Stella Jantuan, Moldovan politician * Stella Levy, Israeli soldier and politician * Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, Nigerian Minister of Aviation *

Stella Omu Stella Unuezi Omu (born 22 December 1946) is a Nigerian politician who was elected Senator on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform in 1999 for the Delta South Senatorial District of Delta State. Background Omu is of Isoko origin. She ...

, Nigerian politician *

Stella Sigcau Princess Stella Sigcau (4 or 14 January 1937 in Lusikisiki – 7 May 2006 in Durban) was a Minister in the South African Government. Sigcau was also the first female Prime Minister of the bantustan of Transkei before being deposed in a milit ...

, Minister in the South African government and first female Prime Minister of the Transkei

Other

* Stella Baruk, Iranian-born French teacher, mathematician, author and educationalist * Stella Cunliffe, British statistician * Stella Immanuel, Cameroonian-American physician, author, and pastor * Stella Koutros, American cancer epidemiologist * Stella Liebeck, American plaintiff in the "McDonald's coffee case". *

Stella Manzie Dame Stella Gordon Manzie (born 13 June 1960) is a British public servant. Early life Manzie was born on 13 June 1960 to senior civil servant Gordon Manzie and Rosalind Manzie. She was educated at Hertfordshire and Essex Girls' High Scho ...

, British public servant and civil servant *

Stella Márquez María Stella Márquez—Araneta (born 17 June 1937) (née Márquez Zawadski), often styled as Madame Stella Márquez de Araneta, is a Colombian pageant director and beauty queen. She grew up in New York City then later migrated to Colombia, wh ...

, former Colombian beauty queen and first Miss International * Stella Mary Newton, English fashion designer and dress historian *

Stella Mason Stella Mason (née Manuel; born c. 1901 – died April 30, 1918) was a Muscogee/Creek freedman, whose guardians and lawyers plundered her oil rich estate in Oklahoma. Her court case was published in newspapers and later was the subject of a public ...

(?–1918),

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern Woodlandsfreedman A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom ...

, subject to a known lawsuit over an estate * Stella Maxwell, Northern Irish fashion model *

Stella McCartney Stella Nina McCartney (born 13 September 1971) is an English fashion designer. She is a daughter of British singer-songwriter Paul McCartney and the late American photographer and animals rights activist Linda McCartney. Like her parents, McCa ...

, British fashion designer * Stella Nickell, American murderer *

Stella Obasanjo Stella Obasanjo (14 November 1945 – 23 October 2005) was the First Lady of Nigeria from 1999 until her death. She was the wife of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, although she was not the First Lady in 1976, when Obasanjo was military head ...

, former First Lady of Nigeria *

Stella Rimington Dame Stella Rimington (born 13 May 1935) is a British author and former Director General of MI5, a position she held from 1992 to 1996. She was the first female DG of MI5, and the first DG whose name was publicised on appointment. In 1993, Rimi ...

, British author and Director General of MI5 * Stella Ross-Craig, British botanic illustrator * Stella Hackel Sims, Director of the United States Mint from 1977 to 1981 * Stella Tennant (1970–2020), Scottish model *

Stella Tillyard Stella Tillyard FRSL (born 1957) is an English author and historian, educated at Oxford and Harvard Universities and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 1999 her bestselling book ''Aristocrats'' was made into a six-part series for ...

, British author and historian

Fictional characters

* Stella (''Winx Club''), one of the main characters of ''

Winx Club ''Winx Club'' is an animated series co-produced by Rainbow S.p.A., Rainbow SpA and later Nickelodeon. It was created by Italian animator Iginio Straffi. The show is set in a magical universe that is inhabited by fairies, witches, and other myth ...

'' * Stella a female snow goose who is Boris' girlfriend and appears in ''Balto III: Wings of Change'' *Stella, female protagonist of an anime movie '' Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem'' * Stella Bonasera, character in ''CSI: NY'' *Stella Bonnaro, character in ''Cowboy Bebop'' * Stella Chernak, character in the TV drama ''Peyton Place'' *Stella the Storyteller, fictional character from the TV series ''

Barney & Friends ''Barney & Friends'' is an American children's television series targeted at young children aged 2–7, created by Sheryl Leach. The series premiered on PBS on April 6, 1992. The series features the title character Barney, a purple anthropomo ...

'' * Stella Crawford, character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' * Stella Kowalski, character in the play ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' *

Stella Loussier This is a list of fictional characters featured in the Cosmic Era (CE) timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. These characters appear in the '' Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'' and '' Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny'' anime television series, as we ...

, character in the anime ''Gundam SEED Destiny'' * Stella Malone, character in the Disney Channel series ''Jonas'' *

Stella Mann (television character) ''Verbotene Liebe'' (, "Forbidden Love") was a German television soap opera created by Reg Watson for Das Erste. The show was set primarily in the German city of Düsseldorf although, at times, the city of Cologne and the Spanish island of Mal ...

, character in the German soap opera ''Verbotene Liebe'' (''Forbidden Love'') *Stella Maynard, character in ''Anne of the Island'' *Stella Moon, character in the Scottish BBC drama TV series '' Monarch of the Glen'' *Stella Morris, title character of

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

series '' Stella'' *Stella Mudd, wife of Harcourt Fenton "Harry" Mudd. from ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' "

I, Mudd "I, Mudd" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Stephen Kandel (based on a story by Gene Roddenberry) and directed by Marc Daniels, it was first broadcast on Novem ...

" * Stella Price, character in the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'' *Stella Vermillion, a mage knight from ''

Chivalry of a Failed Knight is a Japanese light novel series written by Riku Misora and illustrated by Won. The story is set in a fantasy world where the titular "failed knight" Ikki Kurogane meets Stella Vermillion, who is considered a prodigy. The two make up for ...

'' *Stella Zhau, from the American animated series ''

The Loud House ''The Loud House'' is an American animated television series created by Chris Savino that premiered on Nickelodeon on May 2, 2016. The series revolves around the chaotic everyday life of a boy named Lincoln Loud, who is the middle child and only s ...

''. *Stella, the ideal woman in the work of Norwegian poet

Henrik Wergeland Henrik Arnold Thaulow Wergeland (17 June 1808 – 12 July 1845) was a Norwegian writer, most celebrated for his poetry but also a prolific playwright, polemicist, historian, and linguist. He is often described as a leading pioneer in the develo ...

*Stella is the name of the Glinda analogue in ''

The Wizard of the Emerald City ''The Wizard of the Emerald City'' (russian: Волшебник Изумрудного Города) is a 1939 children's novel by Russian writer Alexander Melentyevich Volkov. The book is a re-narration of L. Frank Baum's ''The Wonderful Wizar ...

'' series by Alexander Volkov *Stella, a female Galah in the ''

Angry Birds (franchise) ''Angry Birds'' is a Finnish action-based media franchise created by Rovio Entertainment. The game series focuses on the eponymous flock of angry birds who try to save their eggs from green-colored pigs. Inspired by the game ''Crush the Castl ...

'' series including the spin-off ''

Angry Birds Stella ''Angry Birds Stella'', also known as ''Angry Birds Slingshot Stella'', is a puzzle video game and the second spin-off from the ''Angry Birds'' series, developed by Rovio Entertainment. The game was marketed to females by using characters that ha ...

'' *Stella Klauser, a non-playable character in ''

Final Fantasy V is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992. It is the fifth main installment of the '' Final Fantasy'' series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom (known internationally as th ...

'' *Queen Stella, a non-playable character in ''

Final Fantasy IX is a 2000 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth game in the main '' Final Fantasy'' series. The plot focuses on a war between nations in a medieval fantasy world cal ...

'' *Stella, a non-playable character in '' Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon'' *Stella, a supporting character in ''

Totally Spies! ''Totally Spies!'' is an animated spy-fi series created by Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel mainly produced by French animation company Marathon Media and French broadcaster TF1, with seasons 3 to 5 being co-produced with Canadian c ...

'' in which she is the mother of super spy

Clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...

*Stella, a character in the 2006 film ''Over the Hedge'' *Stella, one of the main characters in the series ''

Trulli Tales ''Trulli Tales'' (), fully known as ''Trulli Tales: The Adventures of Trullalleri'', is an animated children's television series created by Maria Elena and Fiorella Congedo. The series first premiered on October 17, 2017 on Gloobinho in Brazil. ...

'' *Stella the Star Fairy, a character from the ''Rainbow Magic'' book franchise *Stella Graybur, a character in ''Poppy Playtime''

Name day

* ''Hungary'': 14 July * ''Latvia'': 25 December * ''Bulgaria'': 26 November * ''

'': 4 March * ''

'': 11 May