Ella

Ella is a Germanic name that arose in medieval England and continental Europe, functioning both as a short form of names beginning with the element *alja* meaning "other, foreign" (as in Elspeth or Eleanor) and as a diminutive of Germanic names containing the element *ali* of the same meaning. It gained widespread use in the English-speaking world during the nineteenth century alongside the broader Victorian fashion for short, melodic feminine names. The American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald brought lasting modern prominence to the name. Related forms and cognates include Ellen, Eleanor, and the Scandinavian Ella, which shares its roots through the same Germanic tradition.