Meaning & History
Stella is a feminine given name meaning "star" in Latin. The name was famously coined by the 16th-century English poet Philip Sidney for his sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella (published 1591), where Stella represents the idealized beloved. The name gained further literary prominence as the nickname used by Jonathan Swift for his close friend Esther Johnson (1681–1728), whom he called Stella. However, it was not widely adopted as a given name until the 19th century, during the Victorian era's revival of classical and romantic names.
Notable References
Stella appears in Tennessee Williams' 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire as Stella Kowalski, the sister of Blanche DuBois and wife of Stanley Kowalski. The character's name symbolizes her gentle, star-like nature contrasted with the gritty reality of New Orleans. Other notable bearers include the American actress Stella Stevens (1938–2023) and English singer Stella McCartney (born 1971, daughter of Paul McCartney), who is also a fashion designer.
Variants and Related Names
Stella has several variants across languages. The English variant Estelle is also common, while the French form is Estelle. In Spanish, the name appears as Estela or Estelita, a diminutive. The Catalan form is Estel, and the Slovak version is Stela. The Spanish name Estrella, meaning "star," is also genetically related. All these names derive from the Latin word stella.
- Meaning: Star
- Origin: Latin
- Type: Given name
- Usage Regions: Dutch, English, German, Italian