What Does the Name Sela Mean?
Sela comes from the Hebrew sela (סֶלַע), meaning "rock" or "cliff" — a name that carries connotations of strength and steadfastness, echoing the biblical image of God as a rock or stronghold.
The Origin & History of Sela
In the Hebrew Bible, Sela is also a place name, a rock-cut city in the land of Edom that scholars generally identify with the later Nabataean city of Petra, in modern Jordan. As a given name it draws on the same word rather than referring to any single biblical person.
Sela Ward and Modern Fame
The name's best-known modern bearer is Sela Ward, the American actress and Emmy winner known for the TV series Sisters and Once and Again and for playing Helen Kimble in the 1993 film The Fugitive.
Cultural Reach
Sela has a clean, one-syllable-feeling shape that has helped it travel well beyond Jewish naming circles into wider American use, helped along by Ward's public profile.
Personality & Associations
True to its meaning, Sela suggests quiet strength, stability, and endurance.
Nicknames & Variations
Sella is an occasional alternate spelling. Note that Sela is a different Hebrew word from "Selah," the recurring term in the Psalms, even though the two look similar in English — they are unrelated.