The name Ella is commonly used as a shortened form or nickname of names that start or end with ella. Other theories suggest that it comes from a Hebrew word for "goddess" or the Germanic element alles, meaning "other." It was a top-100 girl's name in the United States every year between 1900 and 1927, but fell out of the top 1,000 in the 1980s. It returned towards the end of the decade, re-entered the top-100 in 2002 and was a top-20 girl's name every year between 2008 and 2021. "The Cosby Show" actress Keshia Knight-Pulliam has a daughter named Ella Grace, Broadway star Laura Benanti named her daughter Ella Rose and "The Bold and the Beautiful" actress Jennifer Finnigan has a daughter named Ella Jack. All three celebrity babies were born in 2017.
