| Estella | Cordelia | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Star | Of debated origin, “heart” |
| Origin | latin | Latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | es-TEL-uh | kor-DEEL-yuh |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1921 (638) | 2015 (286) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 258 |
| Trend | Vintage | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Estella | Cordelia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 3,139 | 1,458 |
| 2010s | 3,053 | 2,277 |
| 2000s | 1,557 | 1,218 |
| 1990s | 617 | 367 |
| 1980s | 800 | 338 |
| 1970s | 1,200 | 352 |
| 1960s | 2,083 | 566 |
| 1950s | 3,380 | 772 |
| 1940s | 3,731 | 780 |
| 1930s | 3,908 | 839 |
| 1920s | 5,797 | 1,131 |
| 1910s | 5,092 | 1,087 |
| 1900s | 3,068 | 600 |
| 1890s | 3,174 | 575 |
| 1880s | 2,321 | 546 |
A Latinate elaboration of Estelle, both tracing to Latin 'stella' ('star'). Charles Dickens used it for a character in 'Great Expectations'.
A literary name of debated roots, often linked to the Latin cor, “heart.” Cordelia is King Lear’s loyal daughter.
Cordelia is more popular than Estella today: about 258 US babies were given the name Cordelia in 2025, compared with 0 named Estella.
Estella means Star (latin origin), while Cordelia means Of debated origin, “heart” (Latin origin).
In US records, Estella first appears in 0 and Cordelia in 1880, so Estella has the longer recorded history.