Lela
- #2,368 for girls in 2025, 76 births
- Last seen for boys in 1938 at #3,175
- Given to girls 99.8% of the time
Showing
- Peak · girls
- 1896 · 425 births
- Debut · girls
- 106 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 43,005since 1880
Lela over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Lela has never cracked the top 100 here.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #2,368 | 76 | — | |
| 2024 | #2,203 | 86 | — | |
| 2023 | #2,142 | 89 | — | |
| 2022 | #1,961 | 100 | — | |
| 2021 | #1,816 | 111 | — | |
| 2020 | #1,808 | 109 | — | |
| 2019 | #1,763 | 116 | — | |
| 2018 | #1,554 | 139 | — | |
| 2017 | #1,545 | 142 | — | |
| 2016 | #1,512 | 150 | — | |
| 2015 | #1,526 | 147 | — | |
| 2014 | #1,471 | 152 | — | |
| 2013 | #1,440 | 156 | — | |
| 2012 | #1,322 | 178 | — | |
| 2011 | #1,540 | 142 | — | |
| 2010 | #1,536 | 145 | — | |
| 2009 | #1,444 | 161 | — | |
| 2008 | #1,486 | 157 | — | |
| 2007 | #1,370 | 176 | — | |
| 2006 | #1,462 | 152 | — | |
| 2005 | #1,471 | 143 | — | |
| 2004 | #1,498 | 134 | — | |
| 2003 | #1,579 | 122 | — | |
| 2002 | #1,720 | 106 | — | |
| 2001 | #1,641 | 111 | — | |
| 2000 | #1,533 | 118 | — | |
| 1999 | #1,738 | 92 | — | |
| 1998 | #2,244 | 63 | — | |
| 1997 | #2,174 | 63 | — | |
| 1996 | #1,898 | 76 | — | |
| 1995 | #2,309 | 57 | — | |
| 1994 | #2,432 | 52 | — | |
| 1993 | #1,942 | 72 | — | |
| 1992 | #2,318 | 56 | — | |
| 1991 | #1,779 | 80 | — | |
| 1990 | #1,862 | 76 | — | |
| 1989 | #1,925 | 67 | — | |
| 1988 | #1,863 | 66 | — | |
| 1987 | #1,519 | 84 | — | |
| 1986 | #1,588 | 75 | — | |
| 1985 | #1,373 | 94 | — | |
| 1984 | #1,343 | 90 | — | |
| 1983 | #1,220 | 104 | — | |
| 1982 | #1,345 | 92 | — | |
| 1981 | #1,193 | 110 | — | |
| 1980 | #1,474 | 82 | — | |
| 1979 | #1,226 | 106 | — | |
| 1978 | #1,194 | 105 | — | |
| 1977 | #1,206 | 101 | — | |
| 1976 | #1,216 | 93 | — | |
| 1975 | #1,301 | 85 | — | |
| 1974 | #1,143 | 101 | — | |
| 1973 | #947 | 127 | — | |
| 1972 | #1,079 | 106 | — | |
| 1971 | #1,074 | 112 | — | |
| 1970 | #961 | 132 | — | |
| 1969 | #1,066 | 106 | — | |
| 1968 | #893 | 133 | — | |
| 1967 | #1,011 | 103 | — | |
| 1966 | #897 | 126 | — | |
| 1965 | #819 | 147 | — | |
| 1964 | #811 | 166 | — | |
| 1963 | #801 | 168 | — | |
| 1962 | #814 | 165 | — | |
| 1961 | #744 | 195 | — | |
| 1960 | #786 | 169 | — | |
| 1959 | #696 | 207 | — | |
| 1958 | #673 | 216 | — | |
| 1957 | #684 | 209 | — | |
| 1956 | #620 | 238 | — | |
| 1955 | #588 | 244 | — | |
| 1954 | #562 | 250 | — | |
| 1953 | #555 | 248 | — | |
| 1952 | #514 | 270 | — | |
| 1951 | #550 | 234 | — | |
| 1950 | #493 | 266 | — | |
| 1949 | #417 | 356 | — | |
| 1948 | #444 | 323 | — | |
| 1947 | #455 | 323 | — | |
| 1946 | #445 | 301 | — | |
| 1945 | #394 | 326 | — | |
| 1944 | #390 | 328 | — | |
| 1943 | #392 | 344 | — | |
| 1942 | #365 | 371 | — | |
| 1941 | #348 | 355 | — | |
| 1940 | #352 | 335 | — | |
| 1939 | #333 | 359 | — | |
| 1938 | #320 | 384 | #3,175 | 6 |
| 1937 | #302 | 418 | — | |
| 1936 | #301 | 407 | — | |
| 1935 | #290 | 427 | — | |
| 1934 | #284 | 466 | #3,679 | 5 |
| 1933 | #273 | 510 | #3,268 | 6 |
| 1932 | #275 | 504 | — | |
| 1931 | #259 | 558 | — | |
| 1930 | #259 | 586 | #4,001 | 5 |
| 1929 | #252 | 631 | #3,959 | 5 |
| 1928 | #243 | 659 | #3,697 | 6 |
| 1927 | #250 | 682 | #4,210 | 5 |
| 1926 | #244 | 721 | — | |
| 1925 | #228 | 818 | — | |
| 1924 | #223 | 863 | — | |
| 1923 | #226 | 816 | #3,822 | 6 |
| 1922 | #220 | 865 | #3,532 | 7 |
| 1921 | #212 | 907 | — | |
| 1920 | #218 | 878 | — | |
| 1919 | #207 | 898 | #3,736 | 6 |
| 1918 | #209 | 896 | #3,728 | 6 |
| 1917 | #212 | 828 | — | |
| 1916 | #199 | 888 | — | |
| 1915 | #213 | 774 | — | |
| 1914 | #202 | 647 | — | |
| 1913 | #188 | 595 | — | |
| 1912 | #184 | 523 | — | |
| 1911 | #162 | 489 | — | |
| 1910 | #161 | 469 | — | |
| 1909 | #161 | 414 | — | |
| 1908 | #161 | 411 | — | |
| 1907 | #144 | 453 | — | |
| 1906 | #137 | 447 | — | |
| 1905 | #134 | 465 | — | |
| 1904 | #135 | 431 | — | |
| 1903 | #133 | 420 | — | |
| 1902 | #125 | 459 | — | |
| 1901 | #117 | 443 | — | |
| 1900 | #122 | 530 | — | |
| 1899 | #116 | 417 | — | |
| 1898 | #115 | 459 | — | |
| 1897 | #116 | 438 | — | |
| 1896 | #113 | 425 | — | |
| 1895 | #121 | 388 | — | |
| 1894 | #113 | 413 | — | |
| 1893 | #120 | 358 | — | |
| 1892 | #124 | 353 | — | |
| 1891 | #117 | 337 | — | |
| 1890 | #127 | 304 | — | |
| 1889 | #133 | 268 | — | |
| 1888 | #126 | 292 | — | |
| 1887 | #131 | 207 | — | |
| 1886 | #122 | 230 | #959 | 5 |
| 1885 | #139 | 168 | — | |
| 1884 | #119 | 213 | — | |
| 1883 | #126 | 163 | — | |
| 1882 | #126 | 143 | — | |
| 1881 | #127 | 125 | — | |
| 1880 | #141 | 106 | — | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Lela was already there! It came in at #141, and was given to 106 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1992–1998, when fewer than 77 girls a year got the name.
Where Lela is popular in 2025
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | #1,127 | 5 | 1 in 6,415 |
| Ohio | #1,271 | 6 | 1 in 7,878 |
| Georgia | #1,533 | 5 | 1 in 9,042 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Texas | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Lela
Momentum · girls
Falling
- 560 spots since 2020 (#1,808 → #2,368)
- Biggest jump: 132 spots in 1973
- Biggest drop: 196 spots in 1974
Rise & fade · girls
16 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1896 at #113 (425 births)
- Births halved by 1957, 61 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 90 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 90 yrs · run 1880–1966
Share of babies · girls
1 in 535
- Highest: 1 in 535 girls born in 1897 were named Lela (0.19%)
- Latest: 1 in 21,148 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
- Its best rank, #113 in 1896, was only 1 in 560 (0.18%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1920s
- 18.2% of all girls named Lela (7,840) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,915 | #119 (1884) | #129 |
| 1890s | 3,892 | #113 (1896) | #118 |
| 1900s | 4,473 | #117 (1901) | #137 |
| 1910s | 7,007 | #161 (1910) | #194 |
| 1920s | 7,840 | #212 (1921) | #232 |
| 1930s | 4,619 | #259 (1930) | #290 |
| 1940s | 3,362 | #348 (1941) | #400 |
| 1950s | 2,382 | #493 (1950) | #594 |
| 1960s | 1,478 | #744 (1961) | #864 |
| 1970s | 1,068 | #947 (1973) | #1,135 |
| 1980s | 864 | #1,193 (1981) | #1,484 |
| 1990s | 687 | #1,738 (1999) | #2,070 |
| 2000s | 1,380 | #1,370 (2007) | #1,520 |
| 2010s | 1,467 | #1,322 (2012) | #1,521 |
| 2020s | 571 | #1,808 (2020) | #2,050 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Want to check a specific year?
See where Lela ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: