Ella
Say it: EL-uh/ˈɛl.ə/
GirlMeans a short form of Eleanor or Ellen4 letters2 syllables
#17
in Ireland (2025)
#18 with spellings combined
176
babies in 2025
#3
best rank (2007)
8,677
babies since 1970
Down 12
10-year rank change
Ella through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 176 | #18 |
| 2024 | 192 | #14 |
| 2023 | 231 | #10 |
| 2022 | 240 | #14 |
| 2021 | 268 | #10 |
| 2020 | 265 | #7 |
| 2019 | 292 | #9 |
| 2018 | 311 | #7 |
| 2017 | 286 | #14 |
| 2016 | 331 | #11 |
| 2015 | 384 | #6 |
| 2014 | 398 | #6 |
| 2013 | 478 | #4 |
| 2012 | 445 | #7 |
| 2011 | 434 | #11 |
| 2010 | 380 | #11 |
| 2009 | 346 | #18 |
| 2008 | 407 | #12 |
| 2007 | 601 | #3 |
| 2006 | 447 | #8 |
| 2005 | 405 | #10 |
| 2004 | 381 | #11 |
| 2003 | 327 | #14 |
| 2002 | 204 | #28 |
| 2001 | 112 | #48 |
| 2000 | 75 | #65 |
| 1999 | 60 | #76 |
| 1998 | 39 | #94 |
| 1997 | 26 | #176 |
| 1996 | 27 | #174 |
| 1995 | 15 | #242 |
| 1994 | 11 | #282 |
| 1993 | 16 | #234 |
| 1992 | 4 | #455 |
| 1991 | 6 | #393 |
| 1990 | 8 | #336 |
| 1988 | 6 | #381 |
| 1987 | 6 | #386 |
| 1986 | 7 | #356 |
| 1985 | 4 | #456 |
| 1984 | 4 | #459 |
| 1983 | 5 | #438 |
| 1982 | 7 | #369 |
| 1981 | 4 | #471 |
| 1980 | 3 | #542 |
| 1970 | 3 | #447 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Ella mean?
A short form of Eleanor or Ellen
English, a 19th-century short form of Eleanor or Ellen.
Say it right
ELuh
The story of Ella
Ella began in the 1800s as a short form of Eleanor or Ellen. Later it was also used for longer names ending in -ella, such as Gabriella and Daniella, and similar short forms grew up separately in several other European languages.
Ella first appears in the CSO records in 1970, but it stayed rare until the late 1990s. Then it rose very fast, from 39 girls in 1998 to 601 in 2007, when it reached number 3. It has eased back since and was 18th in 2025 on the combined count.
In Northern Ireland it did even better in the mid-2010s, reaching second place there in 2015.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Ella (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Ella (name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Ella | 176 | 8,677 |
In Northern Ireland
#25 in 2025 with 52 babies. Best rank #2 (2015); 2,960 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
Ella is also given to boys: 3 since 2004.