Meaning & History
Hella is a feminine given name used in Danish and German, originating as a diminutive of names beginning with the element Hel, such as Helga or Helena. In Nordic tradition, Hel variously relates to "holy" (from Old Norse heilagr) or to the Norse goddess Hel, ruler of the underworld, giving the name a dual sense of sanctity and mythic depth.
Etymology
The core root of Hella traces back to the Old Norse name Helgi, a masculine form meaning "holy, blessed." Helgi in turn derives from the longer chain: the legendary king Halfdan (from Old Norse Hálfdan, meaning "half Danish") fathered the hero Helgi (and his brother Hróarr) in Norse sagas and the Old English poem Beowulf, where Helgi appears as Halga. Helga, the feminine counterpart that gave rise to Hella, thus inherits this sacred quality.Usage and Cultural Context
While Hella is rare as a given name outside Scandinavia and German-speaking areas, it has several variant and related forms: the German diminutive Alena, and Danish forms like Ella, Lena, Lene, and Elna. Its masculine equivalent is Helge. In recent popular culture, the name gained media prominence through the German fitness influencer Hella von Sinnen and the supporting character Hella in the 2016 video game Fire Emblem Fates. However, unrelated is the English slang term "hella" (meaning "very" or "a lot"), which emerged in 1970s Oakland, California, and may be a contraction of "hell of a" or "hellacious"; this usage does not share etymology with the given name.Notable Bearers
Not an exhaustive list, but some individuals named Hella include:- Hella Wuolijoki (1886–1954): Estonian-Finnish writer and political activist.
- Hella Haasse (1918–2011): Dutch author of historical novels such as Oeroeg and The Scarlet City.
- Hella von Sinnen (born 1959): German comedian, television presenter, and fitness coach.
- Meaning: Diminutive of holy or sacred names (e.g., Helga, Helena).
- Origin: Old Norse helgi from heilagr.
- Gender: Feminine.
- Usage regions: Denmark, Germany.
- Related forms: Alena, Ella, Lena, Lene, Elna; masculine Helge.
Related Names
Masculine Forms
(Danish)
Helge
Other Languages & Cultures
(Swedish)
Helena, Helene (Welsh)
Elen (Armenian)
Heghine (Ukrainian)
Lena (English)
Elaine (Sardinian)
Elene (Belarusian)
Alena 2 (Spanish)
Elena (Slovene)
Jelena, Ela 1 (Slovak)
Jela (Serbian)
Jelica (Slovene)
Jelka (Swedish)
Helga (Polish)
Ilona (Slovene)
Alena 1 (Polish)
Helenka (Hungarian)
Ilonka (Slovak)
Lenka (Dutch)
Heleen (Norwegian)
Eline (Dutch)
Heleentje (Swedish)
Ellen 1, Helen (English)
Elaina (Swedish)
Ella 2 (English)
Elle, Ellena, Ellie, Elly, Hellen, Lainey, Laney, Nell, Nelle (Swedish)
Nellie, Nelly (Finnish)
Aili (Swedish)
Elina (Finnish)
Heli 2 (Norwegian)
Helle 1 (Finnish)
Leena, Aila, Eliina, Helka, Elli 2, Heleena (Swedish)
Laila 2 (Ukrainian)
Nelli (French)
Hélène, Éléna (Hungarian)
Léna (French)
Leyna (Greek)
Eleni (Hungarian)
Heléna, Ili, Ilike, Ilka (Icelandic)
Elín (Irish)
Léan (Spanish)
Ileana (Latvian)
Elīna, Helēna, Jeļena, Elēna, Ina, Liene, Līna, Nellija (Welsh)
Elin (Norwegian)
Eli 3 (Swedish)
Elna (Norwegian)
Hege, Lene (Romanian)
Ilinca, Lenuța (Russian)
Yelena (Ukrainian)
Aliona, Alyona (Russian)
Alyonka (Sami)
Áile, Láilá (Slovene)
Alenka (Swedish)
Helén (Ukrainian)
Olena
Same Spelling
User Submissions
Sources: Wikipedia — Hella