What is Ella short for?
In old records, Ella is usually short for Eleanor. It can also stand for Ellen, Helen, and Isabella, and others. You will find it in American and British records, chiefly 1800s-1900s. The Ella-to-Eleanor jump is easy to miss, so it is worth searching both when you hit a dead end.
Loading tool…
Not sure Ella is a nickname at all? Get the straight verdict.
The finder above is preloaded with this name. Search any other nickname or formal name to trace a variant, or open the full nickname finder.
FAQs
Does Ella always mean Eleanor?+
Not always. Ella most often stands for Eleanor, but it also appears for Ellen, Helen, and Isabella. Confirm against the actual record before you rely on it.
How does this nickname lookup work?+
It searches a curated dataset of historical nickname-to-formal-name mappings - in both directions - entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored on our servers.
Start with one relative and see what comes back.
Add what you remember and AncestorIQ searches for the rest. Free to build your tree for as long as you like.
No credit card needed. Your tree stays yours.


