Ella
Norman French in origin, from a Germanic name built on the element alja, other or foreign. In English it has also served as a short form of Eleanor and Ellen.
Ella in 2025
Ella was given to 5,831 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 85th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 569 babies born.
The history of Ella
Ella reached its highest point in 2010, when 9,898 babies were given the name, ranking 51st that year. Its best-ever ranking was 29th, in 1880.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 352,214 babies have been named Ella. Half of them were born before 2004, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Ella by decade
| Decade | Babies named Ella | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 13,967 | 29 |
| 1890s | 17,118 | 35 |
| 1900s | 14,841 | 55 |
| 1910s | 25,002 | 84 |
| 1920s | 29,684 | 149 |
| 1930s | 20,121 | 192 |
| 1940s | 16,080 | 262 |
| 1950s | 11,066 | 369 |
| 1960s | 5,195 | 630 |
| 1970s | 2,096 | 1,001 |
| 1980s | 1,576 | 1,463 |
| 1990s | 3,897 | 701 |
| 2000s | 67,644 | 54 |
| 2010s | 85,993 | 48 |
| 2020s | 37,934 | 52 |
Where Ella is heading
Ella has fallen 26% over the past decade, from 7,918 babies in 2015 to 5,831 in 2025.
Names like Ella
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Ella.