Fontella
Feminine
Fontella is a rare, lilting girl's name that looks Italian. It belongs to Fontella Bass, whose 'Rescue Me' was one of the great soul records, and it sounds like the fontanelle, the soft spot on a baby's head.
How old is the name Fontella?
Fontella first appears in US birth records in 1900 — 125 years ago. The typical Fontella alive today was born around 1965, making them about 60 years old. About 400 people named Fontella are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Fontella most popular?
Fontella peaked in 1966, reaching #1011 nationally. See the whole 1966 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Fontella
Fontella Bass, daughter of the gospel singer Martha Bass, grew up singing in church in St. Louis; 'Rescue Me', recorded for Chess in Chicago, went to the top of the rhythm and blues chart and was heard around the world, and she later fought for credit as a writer of it. The fontanelle, the soft gap in a newborn's skull, takes its name from French fontanelle, 'little fountain'. Fontella may carry the same fountain.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Fontella looks like Italian fontanella, ‘little fountain’, but nothing records that as the source.
Pronouncing Fontella
fon-TEL-uh
Three syllables with the stress on the second.
Nicknames for Fontella
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1900
- Most girls named
- 1966104 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1011reached in 1966
- Change vs 1989
- 0.0%6 in 1990, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Fontellas among us
people named Fontella are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Fontella sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- A soul singer's name with a great song behind it.
- Lilting and easy to say.
- Almost certain to be the only one.
- People will write Fontela or Fontaine.
- It is closely tied to its era.
- It has no documented meaning of its own.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Fontella to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Fontella? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Fontella
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Fontellas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 400 people named Fontella are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Fontella in 2025?
- Fontella is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Fontella with classmates?
- Fontella will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More F names
The most-given names starting with F, all years combined.
Frances#318 · Florence#391 · Faith#254 · Felicia#5554 · Fannie#3342 · Faye#514 · Flora#607 · Freda#6546
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Fontella? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Fontella and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle