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Clella

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Clella

Pronounced KLEL-uh /ˈklɛlə/Medium

Meaning: Clella is an uncommon early-1900s girls' name of uncertain formation. The most likely reading is a homespun name built on the Cleo-/Clel- sound, perhaps echoing Clelia (an Italian form of the Roman Cloelia, a legendary heroine). No single documented root is certain; it may simply be a coined vintage name.Low

In 30 seconds: Clella is a rare early-1900s coinage, probably built on the Cleo/Clelia sound rather than a fixed root. It reads as a homespun vintage name (said 'KLEL-uh').

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningClella is an uncommon early-1900s girls' name of uncertain formation. The most likely reading is a homespun name built on the Cleo-/Clel- sound, perhaps echoing Clelia (an Italian form of the Roman Cloelia, a legendary heroine). No single documented root is certain; it may simply be a coined vintage name.

U.S. rank (1958)#4984 ↗ Rising

1958 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1915

Total births (all-time)≈ 887

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Clella is one of the many short, invented-sounding girls' names that dot the early American record. Its origin is not documented; the most reasonable guess ties it to the Cleo-/Clel- family and perhaps to Clelia (Italian for the Roman Cloelia), but it may equally be a coinage assembled for its soft, two-syllable sound.

Clella appears only faintly and briefly, clustered in the nineteen-tens, and never rose above a scattering — a few dozen girls a year at most before it slipped from the record. Because its root is uncertain, it is best treated as a period coinage; it carries a homey, old-record charm rather than any revival momentum.

Did you know? Its likely cousin Clelia goes back to the Roman legend of Cloelia, a young woman who escaped an enemy camp by swimming the Tiber and became a symbol of bravery.

Overall data confidence 40%

References — Clella — rare vintage coinage; possible Cleo/Clelia link, uncertain

Variations

ClelaCleola

Nicknames

ClelElla

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Clella…

Cleo— the likely Cleo- root behind Clella's sound

Della— shares the soft two-syllable -ella vintage ending

Stella— another -ella name from the same old-record era

Cleta— a fellow rare Cle- vintage name of the period

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Clella mean?

Clella is a rare early-1900s name of uncertain origin, most likely built on the Cleo/Clelia sound.

How do you pronounce Clella?

It's said KLEL-uh /ˈklɛlə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Clella a boy or girl name?

Clella is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Clella?

Clella has always been very rare in the U.S., a vintage name barely seen after the early twentieth century.