Given name & surname · also Yiddish
Rella
“from a foreign land”
Rella is a form of Ella. One German interpretation is “from a foreign land.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Rella carries the interpretation “from a foreign land.” Rella is a form of Ella. One German interpretation is “from a foreign land.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Yiddish.
How it developed
Rella is used as a form of Ella.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Rella through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,325
- 0 boys · 1,325 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 26 babies
- 2025
- 12
- #8,752 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +21%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 12 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 8,752 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 482 as a first name in 2020; 791 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.
Rella’s family of names
Rella is an affectionate form of Reisel. Rella is a form of Ella. Rella has a related form in Rela.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
Similar names
If you love Rella, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Novella
Novella is a surname from Italian, ultimately from Catalan. It is used in English and Italian.
>99% girls
Rosebud
Rosebud is a feminine given name from English.
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Etta
“ruler of the house”
>99% girls
Elzie
“from the nobleman's estate”
19% boys · 81% girls
Eulalia
“well-spoken”
>99% girls
Elvira
“a-truthful woman; one who can be trusted”
>99% girls
Ethel
“a noble woman” · “one who is noble”
>99% girls
Ina
“an illuminated man”
>99% girls