Stella — Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

Stella is a girls' name of Latin origin, meaning "star". Sidney's sonnets praised Stella ('star') in the 1580s; four centuries later it still shines.

Style & feel. With celestial and vintage on its style card, Stella sits comfortably in the modern naming landscape — familiar enough that nobody misreads it, distinctive enough that your child won't share it with three classmates. At 2 syllables, it flows across most middle-name combinations and survives every life stage from playground to résumé.

Pairing ideas. Stella pairs naturally with one- and two-syllable middles (Luna, Nova share its sound-world). If you like Stella, you'll probably also love Luna, Nova, Aurora — same era, same energy, same bone structure.