This literary invention hopped off a New Orleans streetcar and is headed for the US Top 100.
Thanks to Melissa for suggesting Stella as Name of the Day.
Stella is Latin for star, and she’s appropriately big in celebrity circles. Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith used the name for their daughter in 1996, when Stella was unranked in the US. By the time Tori Spelling welcomed her daughter Stella on Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood in 2008, the name had climbed to #186.
Her comeback isn’t just about star power. Stella was a Top 100 staple from the late nineteenth century into the 1920s. Her -ella ending fits with many of today’s most popular choices, from Isabella to Gabriella to just Ella.
Catholics have referred to Mary as Stella Maris since the ninth century. Her title may have been based on a typo. In the fourth century, St. Jerome called her stilla maris – a drop in the sea. You’ll find seaside parishes, schools and at least one monastery referred to by the name all over the world.
The Elizabethan-era poet Sir Philip Sidney was the first to use Stella as a personal name when he wrote his “Astrophil and Stella” sonnets in the 1580s. If you unpack the Latin, Astrophil is a a lover – phil – of stars – astro, making Stella the logical choice for his object of desire.
While Estelle was indeed in use in Medieval France, it isn’t clear when Stella debuted. It may have been Charles Dickens’ use of Estella in Great Expectations, published in the 1860s, that sparked the rise of all three.
For rise she did, and not just for people:
- In 1879 there was a short-lived push for the US to mint a four dollar coin, officially called the Stella;
- Belgian beer Stella Artois was first brewed during the 1926 Christmas season. Artois was the surname of the brewery’s founder;
- Stella D’Oro cookies were named by an Italian immigrant Joseph Kresivich for his family bakery in the Bronx, back in 1932, though they’re now owned by Lance.
The coin didn’t make it, but the consumables are widely available today.
Stella got her biggest boost from literature and film:
- 1918’s Stella Maris starred Mary Pickford as an invalid who ultimately finds true love – though she’s the only one who ends happily;
- Olive Higgins Prouty’s 1923 novel Stella Dallas is about a woman who sacrifices everything for her daughter’s happiness. Multiple film adaptations and a long-running radio show followed;
- Jazz standard “Stella by Starlight” was composed for 1944’s The Uninvited, the tale of a haunted mansion by the sea. Lyrics were added later, and it has been oft-recorded and performed since.
- But the big kahuna, is Tennessee Williams’ 1947 A Streetcar Named Desire and the film that followed. Marlon Brando bellowing “Stella!” is a cinematic classic, but her life is not one you’d choose for a daughter.
As a given name, Stella’s decline started in the 1940s. Maybe it was her association with so many suffering women, but odds are she simply sounded dated after so many years’ heavy use.
In 2010, however, Stella sounds fresh. She’s also nickname-proof and appropriate for a child or an adult. Add it all up, and you’ll find her only drawback is that she’s so very appealing. Odds are good that you won’t be the only parents discovering Stella!
Apart from one Stella I know who was funny and vivacious, I have found the name less attractive. Estelle sounds better.
I love the name Stella…it’s so beautiful, with a lovely meaning. But it is just too popular for me to ever use for a future child. 🙁 I don’t want to use popular names…so I guess I will do the next best thing, and give this name to a character in one of the stories that I am writing, haha.
Stella was the name of the wise-cracking nurse in Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”, played by the non-glamorous but great Thelma Ritter.
A lovely name, which I’ve just encountered at the park, with sister Emma and playmates Emmy, Mia, and Katie.
Nice name-spotting, Jonquil!
I LOVE the name Stella!!! It’s so beautiful and I’ve always loved names meaning star! I’m an author and I have a set of twin girls named Stella and Astra.
I like Stella, but I’m over it. Estelle seems much fresher and more elegant. I know a young mom who is considering Estelle nicknamed Stella if her baby is a girl. I was extremely impressed.
I like Stella, but she’ll never be one of my kids. Estelle is more like me. 🙂 Mr. M pushed pretty hard for Josephine to be Stella, but she just didn’t look like a Stella to me. “Streetcar” doesn’t bother me for Stella, but did give me a bad image of Stanley, which I like despite the Stella bellower.
I think he pushed so hard for Stella is his fandom for Stella Stevens, nice but again, not me! I wouldn’t mind hearing Stella instead of Ava (but would still rather Eva over Ava), Stella’s sweet.
I like Stella alot, but probably wouldn’t use it. It’s a bit too popular for my tastes. Pretty name though. I’d be more likely to use the Welsh name Seren instead. I like Estella too.
This is a family name for me…my father’s grandmother was Stella. Not sure if I would use it for a new generation, but I’m very fond of it. My maternal grandmother also had an -ella name: Ozella.
My niece was named Stella in 2006. Ironically, my sister was looking for something that wasn’t too common! She is adorable though and the name fits her. As for being nickname proof, however, I have to disagree. Our Stella has been called “Luna” via “Stella-Luna”, the popular childrens’ book and movie since she was about a year old. My husband’s grandmother is also an Estella, and is called Stella by her family. I love this name, but I am biased by positive associations.
I’m not a fan of any of the -ella names, and Stella sounds sort of flat and awkward to my ear. Interesting piece as always, Verity!
I had an Iranian friend in college named Setareh – star in Farsi, which I love. Stella is sweet but with all the connotations that have been mentioned is no longer elegant to my ear.
I think Stella is darling, but I predict that she might be the next Ava.
I like Stella okay. I’m not feeling it as super-fresh sounding though – I haven’t bothered to look, but I’m thinking it’s more popular in the UK and has been for a while? Not sure, but that’s my guess because I feel like I’ve been hearing it a lot for over a decade. Stella is very “A Streetcar Named Desire” via Seinfeld’s Elaine hopped up on pills. It’s the first thing that jumps into my mind.
Random other thought: you mention that Stella D’Oro is owned by Lance now… I recently met my first Lance in person… The Lance brand’s jingle “I’ve got Lance in my pants” made me have a particularly negative reaction to a flesh and blood person called Lance. I know this post isn’t about Lance, but I’ll weigh in anyway and say with certainty that the jingle has, for now anyway, made that name unwearable in my mind.
I like Stella. I am probably one of the few people who haven’t seen “A Streetcar Named Desire” and even then, I am not one to let a movie association dampen my liking of a name. I do not personally know of any Stella’s at all, although I know it is popular in other areas. Now Ella/Bella… that’s a different story.
The TV show How I Met Your Mother in the past couple seasons had a character named Stella for 9 episodes (played by Sarah Chalke of Scrubs). I think it reflects how current this name has become.
I personally like the name but I’m not sure I like it enough to use it!
Honestly, it’s one of the names that have always just rubbed me the wrong way. I remember watching How Stella Got Her Groove back as a kid and thinking that I really dislike this name. I can understand the arguments for why people like it; I even like most -ella names & I adore most ‘s’ names- Stella just rubs me the wrong way. It’s utterly normal to me as a name & rather bland. My distaste for it borders on a physical reaction.
However, many people don’t like the names I do; so it’s all about personal taste & preference.If someone else wanted to use the name & likes it- good for them
Along with Ruby, this name was a real favorite amongst my Brooklyn neighbors 5 or so years ago. It’s faded a bit, but still reminds me of a certain type of boho parent.
Yes, I had a conversation with a local mom-of-Stella who said it was “an old family name.” Maybe so, but betcha Gertrude or Bertha is, too, and I doubt they’re under consideration for future children …
Stella was one of my top-picks in 2005, but my husband disliked it. The ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ movie was off-putting for him. 🙁
I love everything about Stella, except for my Husband’s ex-flame.