Stella

The name Stella is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "star". Stella was derived from stella, the Latin word for “star.” It was coined by Sir Philip Sidney in 1590 for the protagonist of his poem collection Astrophel and Stella. The title literally means “the star lover and his star,” but unlike Stella, Astrophel did not catch on as a given name. Following on the heels of Ella, Gabriella, Isabella et al, Stella manages to be both celestial and earthy at the same time. Stella is wildly popular among the Malibu set and its star is sure to rise even higher; Stella is already near the top of the charts but could rise even higher in coming years. The name Stella was famously bellowed by Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire, and was used for their daughters by Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott, Molly Shannon, Ellen Pompeo, Gena Lee Nolan, Jennifer Grey and Dave Matthews, among others. Designer Stella McCartney is a notable bearer, and Stella Adler was an influential acting teacher, with Brando one of her prize pupils. Estella and Estrella are other possibilities.