Given name & surname
Estela
“resembling a star”
Estela is a variant of Estella. One Latin interpretation is “resembling a star.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Estela is a variant of Estella. One Latin interpretation is “resembling a star.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Estela is a variant of Estella. An origin associated with Estella is Latin.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1903. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Estela through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 9,147
- 0 boys · 9,147 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 134 babies
- 2025
- 128
- #1,624 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +30%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 128 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,624 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 30.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (37). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 23,239 as a first name in 2020; 849 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Estela’s family of names
In Occitan usage, Estela has a later derivative in Estelle. In Spanish usage, Estela has a conventional equivalent in the English form Stella. Estela has a related form in Estella.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Estela has relatives in 3 languages.
2 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Estela
- Estela GiménezSpanish rhythmic gymnastborn 1979
- Estela RodríguezCuban judoka (1967–2022)
- Estela GarcíaSpanish athleteborn 1989
- Estela QuesadaCosta Rican lawyer (1924-2011)
- Estela NavascuésSpanish athleteborn 1981
- Estela Cantowriter and translator1915–1994
- Estela GolovchenkoUruguayan playwrightborn 1963
- Estelle Bee DagumArgentinian economist1935–2026
- Estela V. WelldonArgentine-British psychiatrist and writerborn 1939
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Estela, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“evening star; born in the evening”
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“gem, jewel” · “as precious as a jewel”
>99% girls