On "Gilmore Girls", what did Lorelai originally name Stella?

On “Gilmore Girls,” Lorelai originally named Stella “Stanley.”

The name appears in Season 1, Episode 14, “That Damn Donna Reed,” when Lorelai helps Rory care for a classroom chick. Lorelai assumes the chick is male and confidently chooses Stanley before Rory points out that it is actually a girl. Lorelai then changes the name to Stella.

The joke fits the episode’s larger theme of traditional gender roles. Rory is experimenting with a 1950s-style domestic ideal for Dean, inspired by The Donna Reed Show, while Lorelai remains skeptical of the idea that women should fit neatly into prescribed roles. Even the chick’s name becomes a small comic example of assumptions made before the facts are known.

Viewers sometimes remember only the final name, Stella, because that is the name used for most of the scene. Stanley is the answer to the question about Lorelai’s original choice. The exchange also echoes the famous “Stella!” reference associated with A Streetcar Named Desire, adding another layer to the name change.