| Stella | Regina | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Star | queen |
| Origin | latin | latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | STEL-uh | ruh-JEE-nuh |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2018 (5,164) | 1962 (5,002) |
| In 2025 | 4,136 | 786 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Stella | Regina |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 27,117 | 4,995 |
| 2010s | 44,225 | 6,250 |
| 2000s | 11,843 | 4,551 |
| 1990s | 1,798 | 6,915 |
| 1980s | 1,867 | 14,578 |
| 1970s | 2,563 | 28,319 |
| 1960s | 4,957 | 45,827 |
| 1950s | 8,591 | 30,797 |
| 1940s | 11,363 | 12,713 |
| 1930s | 11,206 | 7,045 |
| 1920s | 25,899 | 10,676 |
| 1910s | 28,526 | 7,389 |
| 1900s | 11,014 | 2,243 |
| 1890s | 9,807 | 1,353 |
| 1880s | 6,130 | 621 |
Directly from the Latin word 'stella' meaning 'star'. It is the clearest, least disputed star name, used in Latin literature and revived in English since the Renaissance (notably by Sir Philip Sidney).
From the Latin 'regina', meaning 'queen' (feminine of 'rex'). Long used as a title of the Virgin Mary (Regina Caeli, 'Queen of Heaven'). A literal, well-established 'queen' name.
Stella is more popular than Regina today: about 4,136 US babies were given the name Stella in 2025, compared with 786 named Regina.
Stella means Star (latin origin), while Regina means queen (latin origin).
In US records, Stella first appears in 1880 and Regina in 1880, so Stella has the longer recorded history.