Given name & surname
Zella
“one who resists”
Zella is used as a given name and a surname. One German interpretation is “one who resists.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “one who resists.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is German.
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
Zella through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 13,369
- 0 boys · 13,369 girls
- Most popular year
- 1917
- 298 babies
- 2025
- 117
- #1,746 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 117 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,746 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 298 in 1917. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,534 as a first name in 2020; 285 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.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Zella
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Zella, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elma
“having God's protection”
>99% girls
Rilla
“from the small brook”
>99% girls
Erma
“one who is complete; universal”
>99% girls
Ethel
“a noble woman” · “one who is noble”
>99% girls
Frieda
“a peaceful ruler”
>99% girls
Bertha
“one who is famously bright and beautiful”
>99% girls
Hilda
“a battlemaiden”
>99% girls
Minna
“determined protector” · “one who is resolute; having great strength”
>99% girls