Total births
206,906
Girls' name · since 1880
Stella
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 206,906 babies named Stella, peaking in 2018. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #49
- among girls today
- 206,906
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.7%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Stella is the #49 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 206,906 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Stella recorded 206,906 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #49 nationally today, ahead of 99.7% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #49 among girls today
- 206,906 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.7% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Stella is currently the #49 girls' name in America, more common than 99.7% of girls - 206,906 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #49
- among girls today
- 206,906
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.7%
- more common than other girls
Stella vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#49
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.7% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Stella was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
5,164 babies were named Stella in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Stella compares
206,906 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Stella's all-time total is 542x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Stella | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 206,906 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,164 | 48 | 19,840 |
Stella's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Stella's full recorded timeline at 1953, 48% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 52% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1995, with just 125 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2018 peak of 5,164 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Stella at a glance
Top 100 girls' namePeak year
2018
Current rank
#49
Active since
1880
Stella popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 5,164
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Stella popularity over time - boys
382 total births recorded since 1885 (Stella as boys' name)
Stella by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Stella's strongest decade.
44,225 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Stella births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6,130
1880s
6,130 births
- 1890s 9,807
1890s
9,807 births
- 1900s 11,014
1900s
11,014 births
- 1910s
1910s
28,526 births
- 1920s
1920s
25,899 births
- 1930s 11,206
1930s
11,206 births
- 1940s 11,363
1940s
11,363 births
- 1950s 8,591
1950s
8,591 births
- 1960s 4,957
1960s
4,957 births
- 1970s 2,563
1970s
2,563 births
- 1980s 1,867
1980s
1,867 births
- 1990s 1,798
1990s
1,798 births
- 2000s 11,843
2000s
11,843 births
- 2010s
2010s
44,225 births
- 2020s
2020s
27,117 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 44,225 births (21% of all-time use).
How Stella compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Stella's total volume
Stella vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Stella by state
Where Stella concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 15,155 | 7.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 13,657 | 6.6% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 13,526 | 6.5% |
| #4 | Texas | | 11,750 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 8,136 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 7,223 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 6,460 | 3.1% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 5,781 | 2.8% |
California share of Stella's total US births 7.3%
Even split
15,155 of 206,906 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Stella appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Stella? ▼
206,906 babies have been named Stella since 1880. It currently ranks #49 among girls. The peak year was 2018 with 5,164 births.
When was Stella most popular? ▼
Stella was most popular in the 2010s decade with 44,225 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Stella most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Stella are California (15,155 births), New York (13,657 births), Pennsylvania (13,526 births).
How long has the name Stella been used? ▼
Records for Stella go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Stella? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Stephanie, Stefanie, Stevie, Stephany, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Stella's data
- Stella's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (44,225 total births) through the 2020s (27,117) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Stellas (15,155 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Stella
Nearby Names Like Stella
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Stella
Stephanie Girl
#534 745,148 births
Stefanie Girl
#5313 37,144 births
Stevie Girl
#209 17,746 births
Stephany Girl
#2753 15,171 births
Stefani Girl
#6002 7,033 births
Compare Stella side by side: Stella vs Stephanie Stella vs Stefanie Stella vs Stevie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Stella
Victoria #48
527,915 births · Peak 1993
Delilah #50
66,683 births · Peak 2024
Valentina #47
65,147 births · Peak 2025
Maya #51
123,587 births · Peak 2006
Elena #46
108,013 births · Peak 2025
Hannah #52
465,685 births · Peak 2000
Madison #45
419,806 births · Peak 2001
Leah #53
256,488 births · Peak 2009
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Stella: #49 Girls' Name - 206,906 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/stella. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Stella draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.