I am really liking [name]Stella[/name] at the moment and it got the nod from my hubby but, after doing a little search about the name & nicknames, I saw many posts suggesting [name]Ella[/name] or [name]Elle[/name] or [name]Ellie[/name] as a nn. Of course, makes perfect sense! But, I hadn’t thought of that…I do love the name [name]Ella[/name]/[name]Ellie[/name] but there just seem to be so many around and we have cousins with babies named [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Isabella[/name] (the babies are not sisters).
Would using [name]Estelle[/name] nn [name]Stella[/name] make any difference/help avoid having another [name]Ella[/name] (we know quite a few Ellas under 5)?
Any suggestions for another name that has a similar feel/charm as [name]Stella[/name] that is not too well-used?
Middle names for [name]Stella[/name]?
I want to keep loving [name]Stella[/name] (especially because hubby loves it too) but am not sure now…
[name]Stella[/name]'s a nice name. I think there’s a chance she’ll have a name that rhymes with a lot of her peers, but it should stand out some, although I know [name]Stella[/name] itself is rising some (here in the US at least - I am guessing you are in Australia from your handle so I don’t know if it is different).
A few names that I think capture some of the Latin word feel are:
[name]Fauna[/name]/[name]Faunia[/name] ([name]Fauna[/name] feels more traditional, but I think I find [name]Faunia[/name] more attractive)
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Luna[/name]
You could also go with [name]Estelle[/name], [name]Estella[/name], [name]Estrella[/name], even [name]Esther[/name] for other [name]Star[/name] names. [name]Estella[/name] is closest in feel, more old-lady but still kind of hip, [name]Estrella[/name] may be prettiest, all of these have the nickname [name]Essie[/name] which a lot of berries love, I have mixed feelings but would love to meet a girl with that nickname.
[name]Flora[/name] feels more similar in vintage style to [name]Stella[/name], and [name]Luna[/name] feels more similar in the astronomical sense.
Then there are just short and simple vintage names, some of which are more popular than others:
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Dora[/name] (actually [name]Dorothea[/name] kind of reminds me of [name]Stella[/name], no idea why really, guess the vintage thing)
[name]Iris[/name] (also means rainbow if you like that sky allusion)
[name]Lila[/name] (a little different feel)
[name]Lola[/name] (ditto [name]Lila[/name])
[name]Mary[/name] (or even [name]Maris[/name], like [name]Stella[/name] [name]Maris[/name])
[name]Nora[/name]
[name]Olive[/name]
[name]Opal[/name] (really bold, but cool)
[name]Rosa[/name] (feels a little like [name]Stella[/name] actually)
[name]Vera[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]/[name]Viola[/name] (although [name]Violet[/name] is getting very popular, it’s beautiful - [name]Viola[/name] is lovely too but a lot of people on here are bothered by the Spanish meaning…)
Sure there are more that hit this note but I am drawing blanks now, sure others will weigh in. [name]Hope[/name] this helps!
Thanks, jesba. You have me feeling good about [name]Stella[/name] again.
Yes, I am in Australia…not sure about the popularity of [name]Stella[/name] here but do not know of any thru friends/family or friends of friends/family. I am a primary school teacher and, if there are Stellas out there, they have not hit kindergarden yet! I am pretty certain that the Ellas are going to be flooding classrooms in a few years, though. : )
I [name]ADORE[/name] the name [name]Stella[/name]. I have a little girl in my grade two class whose name is [name]Stella[/name], and that’s how I fell in love with it. Around my area ([name]Canada[/name]), the “[name]Ella[/name]” names aren’t very popular. (This little girl is the only one in the school with that sound in her name). That being said, if the “[name]Ella[/name]” trend is popular now, that means the kids aren’t in school yet, so I don’t know how a child would fare with that name down the road.
That being said, I would encourage you to keep loving [name]Stella[/name]. For one - it is NOT [name]Ella[/name] (which coincidentally is my favorite name). [name]Stella[/name] is different, and not as popular as the typical [name]Ella[/name] name. It may sound similar to other children, but it will be unique.
[name]Glad[/name] it helped : D. I’ll weigh in again - I agree that sound-alike names are not completely the same thing as popular names, and I’ve oft-repeated it on here that I managed to be a [name]Jessica[/name] born in the early 1980s and never had a classmate [name]Jessica[/name]…so…sometimes you can’t predict!
Also, I realize I misread your initial post a little - I’ve known one little [name]Stella[/name], she’s probably in the 5th grade, everyone called her [name]Stella[/name], no one tried [name]Ella[/name]/[name]Ellie[/name]. I think unless she decided she wanted to be called that, no one would try.
We are so lucky in the US to have the SSA data. Maybe read local news announcements, ask friends of friends? Clicking around a bit, I did find 2010 data for New South [name]Wales[/name] where [name]Stella[/name] was around #75 (but that’s with only 96 little girls), dunno what state (province? sorry, feel like I should know the word?!) you’re in obviously…around #85 in 2010 in South Australia (with 20 little girls)…
So, popular-esque, perhaps…but hardly taking over the country, in those two parts of the country at least.
Good luck!
Thanks again, jesba…states and territories here in [name]Oz[/name] : ) I am in the state of [name]Victoria[/name]. I guess I should be finding out what type of social security list equivalents there are here (I was born in the USA but have been in Australia for 7 years) if I am concerned about popularity of names here…have been checking the popularity in the US b/c so many of my friends and all of my family are still there and so lots of the babies being born are to American friends. I guess I will have to be referencing both US and [name]Oz[/name] lists. The population is so much smaller here than in the US (Australia’s pop. is about the same as that of [name]Texas[/name]!) that it doesn’t take that many “Stellas” or whatever for the name to make the top 100 list!
I guess the upside of [name]Stella[/name] is that if she really hates her name and wants to fit in with the crowd a bit more, she can go by [name]Ella[/name] or [name]Ellie[/name] or similar without it being too much of a stretch?
Similar to you, I never had another [name]Stephanie[/name] in my class until year 9 and, even then, it was only 1 other girl in my school but I just checked and my name was #9 on the SSA list when i was born! You’ve given me more food for thought…all these girls are going to be spread out across a country (or in our case, 2 countries) after all…hmm…
Aussiesteph, First off I live in Australia too. [name]Stella[/name] is such a gorgeous name, I prefer it to any of the other ‘[name]Elle[/name]’ or ‘[name]Ella[/name]’ names. If you didnt want your [name]Stella[/name] to become another [name]Elle[/name] or [name]Ella[/name] you could use another nn perhaps Stell? [name]Star[/name]? [name]Stella[/name] is a short name anyway so I personally wouldnt use a nn for it.
As for popularity, [name]Stella[/name] is #42 in [name]Victoria[/name] with it being given to 103 babies last year in your state. More popular than SA and my homestate NSW.
Here is the top 100 for [name]Vic[/name] 2010, not sure when they release the data for 2011 but I am keen to check it out when it is!
https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/popular-names
[name]Hope[/name] that helps you!
Thanks, babyoneday. I also looked for the 2011 [name]VIC[/name] data earlier today but could only find 2010. I have yet to hear [name]Stella[/name] mentioned amongst friends with babies from their Mum groups, childcare or birthday parties but #42 sounds pretty high on the list. I suppose 103 babies spread out over the whole state is not that many, though. (?)
I agree that [name]Stella[/name] does not need a nickname but, knowing Australians, they will try to find one (or at least shorten it to Stell!). : )