Ela is a short name with several roots: in Turkish it means "hazel", used of light brown eyes; in Polish it is a pet form of Elżbieta, the local Elizabeth; and in Hebrew it is a tree name meaning "terebinth". American parents mostly see it as a streamlined spelling of Ella. Ela peaked at number 1465 in the US in 2018 and ranks number 1562 among girls' names in 2025.