The name Ella comes from three origins.
It is the shortened form of one of many names beginning with El, such as Eleanor or Ellen.
It can also be the shortened form of a name that ends in -ella (such as Isabella or Gabriella). These names stem from the Latin/Spanish word-forming element 'ella' meaning 'she' or 'her'.
The name Ella is also considered to be a variation of the Normadic name Alia, which is the shortened form of any name containing the Germanic element 'ali', meaning 'other or foreign'. The name was brought to England by the Normans and it remained popular until the 14th century.Ella saw a resurgence in popularity in the 19th century, which has continued up until the present day. It peaked as the ninth most popular name for baby girls in England and Wales in 2007, and since then it has seen a slight decline and is currently the 18th most popular name for baby girls.
Famous people called Ella:
Ella FItzgerald, musician
Ella Henderson, singer
Surnames to avoid pairing with the name Ella:
Surnames beginning with an 'A' might cause problems too, as when said aloud this combination of sounds may result in elision – when two words slurred together end up sounding like one.
Similar names: Ellie, Ellen, Elle, Eleanor, Elly, Elsa, Alia, Bella.
Masculine variants: Ellar (Scottish) Ellard (German), Ellary (Teutonic), Ellasar (Biblical).
Celebrities who named their baby Ella:
Danielle Lineker, model and TV presenter
Steven Gerrard, footballer
Jenni Falconer, TV presenter
Annette Bening, actor
Ben Stiller, actor
Eric Clapton, musician
Ioan Gruffudd, actor
John Travolta, actor
Mark Wahlberg, actor
Sophie Raworth, newsreader