Fun Facts About the Name Rella
- More than 1 thousand babies named Rella: U.S. records list 1,325 babies given the name Rella from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Rella Mean?
Rella is a feminine name with two separate explanations. The more widely cited is Yiddish: Rella is a diminutive of Rachel, from Hebrew רָחֵל (Rachel), meaning "ewe." In Yiddish, Rachel became Rokhl, and the affectionate suffix -l(e) produced pet forms such as Rella, so the name can be understood as "little ewe." A separate Hungarian use treats Rella as a short form of Aurélia, the Hungarian form of Latin Aurelia, feminine of Aurelius, from Latin aureus "golden." That would give the meaning "golden." The two derivations are independent, so not every Rella shares the same origin.
Rella Name History & Origins
In Yiddish-speaking Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, Rella developed as a vernacular pet form of the biblical name Rachel. Rachel is the matriarch, wife of Jacob, in the Hebrew Bible. Yiddish speakers commonly reshaped Hebrew names into familiar forms: Rachel became Rokhl or Rukhl, and names ending in -l(e) were affectionate diminutives. Rella belongs to that pattern, alongside forms such as Rela and Reyla. Jewish immigrants carried the name to the United States and other countries, where it appeared in family and religious records as a woman's given name.
In Hungary, Rella is used as a diminutive of Aurélia. Aurélia comes from the Latin Aurelia, a feminine family name. Hungarian naming often creates short forms by clipping a longer name, and Rella is one of the familiar forms of Aurélia. This Hungarian use is separate from the Yiddish name.
In English-speaking countries, Rella has also appeared as an independent given name, sometimes as a short form of names ending in -ella or -rella. It remains uncommon.
How Popular is the Name Rella?
Rella recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1921. Its best rank was #575 in 1881.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,752 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #14,856 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #12,005 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #10,961 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #13,160 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #13,498 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #15,258 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #11,589 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #18,548 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #10,775 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #18,709 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #16,437 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #16,674 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #15,187 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #10,542 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #11,686 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #7,991 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #7,583 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #6,388 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #5,356 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #5,753 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #5,713 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #3,646 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1959 | #4,555 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #4,436 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #3,877 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #5,214 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #2,815 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1954 | #3,662 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #3,234 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1952 | #3,346 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1951 | #2,456 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1950 | #3,021 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1949 | #2,823 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1948 | #3,101 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1947 | #3,195 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1946 | #2,465 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1945 | #2,044 | 18 | 0.0014% |
| 1944 | #3,623 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1943 | #2,820 | 12 | 0.0009% |
| 1942 | #1,697 | 25 | 0.0019% |
| 1941 | #2,010 | 18 | 0.0015% |
| 1940 | #2,084 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1939 | #1,863 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1938 | #1,633 | 23 | 0.0021% |
| 1937 | #1,902 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1936 | #2,242 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1935 | #1,710 | 21 | 0.0020% |
| 1934 | #2,542 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1933 | #2,517 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1932 | #1,620 | 23 | 0.0022% |
| 1931 | #1,628 | 23 | 0.0022% |
| 1930 | #1,562 | 26 | 0.0023% |
| 1929 | #1,943 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1928 | #1,824 | 22 | 0.0019% |
| 1927 | #1,716 | 25 | 0.0021% |
| 1926 | #1,659 | 26 | 0.0022% |
| 1925 | #1,838 | 23 | 0.0019% |
| 1924 | #1,708 | 26 | 0.0021% |
| 1923 | #1,770 | 24 | 0.0020% |
| 1922 | #2,011 | 20 | 0.0017% |
| 1921 | #1,716 | 26 | 0.0021% |
| 1920 | #1,696 | 25 | 0.0021% |
| 1919 | #1,734 | 23 | 0.0020% |
| 1918 | #2,018 | 19 | 0.0016% |
| 1917 | #1,598 | 24 | 0.0022% |
| 1916 | #1,674 | 22 | 0.0021% |
| 1915 | #1,564 | 23 | 0.0023% |
| 1914 | #1,527 | 19 | 0.0025% |
| 1913 | #1,395 | 18 | 0.0029% |
| 1912 | #1,955 | 10 | 0.0018% |
| 1911 | #1,770 | 9 | 0.0022% |
| 1910 | #1,410 | 12 | 0.0030% |
| 1909 | #1,355 | 11 | 0.0032% |
| 1908 | #1,188 | 13 | 0.0039% |
| 1907 | #1,614 | 8 | 0.0025% |
| 1906 | #1,214 | 11 | 0.0037% |
| 1905 | #1,662 | 7 | 0.0024% |
| 1904 | #1,458 | 8 | 0.0029% |
| 1903 | #1,559 | 7 | 0.0027% |
| 1902 | #1,199 | 10 | 0.0038% |
| 1901 | #1,055 | 11 | 0.0046% |
| 1900 | #1,048 | 14 | 0.0047% |
| 1899 | #1,085 | 10 | 0.0043% |
| 1898 | #1,005 | 13 | 0.0050% |
| 1897 | #863 | 15 | 0.0064% |
| 1896 | #1,395 | 7 | 0.0029% |
| 1895 | #739 | 19 | 0.0081% |
| 1894 | #944 | 12 | 0.0054% |
| 1893 | #1,009 | 10 | 0.0047% |
| 1892 | #788 | 15 | 0.0071% |
| 1891 | #1,190 | 7 | 0.0038% |
| 1890 | #1,180 | 7 | 0.0037% |
| 1889 | #1,451 | 5 | 0.0028% |
| 1888 | #946 | 9 | 0.0050% |
| 1886 | #977 | 7 | 0.0048% |
| 1885 | #732 | 10 | 0.0075% |
| 1884 | #722 | 10 | 0.0078% |
| 1883 | #906 | 6 | 0.0053% |
| 1882 | #1,007 | 5 | 0.0046% |
| 1881 | #575 | 10 | 0.0109% |
| 1880 | #727 | 7 | 0.0077% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Rella Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are a law unto itself. Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You are tolerant and like to help humanity. You are very active. You are generally warmhearted and gives freely of your time, energy, and sympathetic understanding. You have tolerance and acceptance of the frailties of others. Universal and humanitarian in outlook. This is very compassionate name. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Rella's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Rella's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.