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
- 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
Rank among girls' names. Lela has never cracked the top 100 here.
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 | — | |
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 1929
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Mississippi#129 · 1 in 500
- Oklahoma#140 · 1 in 585
- Kansas#147 · 1 in 737
- Alabama#149 · 1 in 653
- Louisiana#153 · 1 in 670
Best ever in a state: #70 in Mississippi, 1911.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | #129 | 43 | 1 in 500 |
| Oklahoma | #140 | 39 | 1 in 585 |
| Kansas | #147 | 19 | 1 in 737 |
| Alabama | #149 | 46 | 1 in 653 |
| Louisiana | #153 | 32 | 1 in 670 |
| Idaho | #156 | 5 | 1 in 659 |
| Arkansas | #157 | 27 | 1 in 676 |
| Tennessee | #157 | 36 | 1 in 715 |
| Missouri | #169 | 33 | 1 in 838 |
| North Carolina | #170 | 41 | 1 in 875 |
| Utah | #173 | 6 | 1 in 756 |
| Indiana | #174 | 21 | 1 in 1,175 |
| Nebraska | #178 | 10 | 1 in 1,061 |
| Kentucky | #179 | 30 | 1 in 882 |
| South Dakota | #197 | 5 | 1 in 1,074 |
| Iowa | #212 | 12 | 1 in 1,545 |
| South Carolina | #213 | 14 | 1 in 1,385 |
| Texas | #226 | 57 | 1 in 1,058 |
| Ohio | #237 | 23 | 1 in 2,234 |
| Colorado | #248 | 5 | 1 in 1,660 |
| Illinois | #256 | 24 | 1 in 2,377 |
| Georgia | #293 | 13 | 1 in 2,311 |
| West Virginia | #294 | 8 | 1 in 2,271 |
| Florida | #299 | 6 | 1 in 2,046 |
| Michigan | #336 | 11 | 1 in 3,821 |
| Pennsylvania | #390 | 13 | 1 in 6,379 |
| Virginia | #393 | 5 | 1 in 4,748 |
| California | #396 | 10 | 1 in 3,573 |
| New York | #596 | 7 | 1 in 13,801 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| 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
- 165 spots since 2024 (#2,203 → #2,368)
- 560 spots since 2020 (#1,808 → #2,368)
- 842 spots since 2015 (#1,526 → #2,368)
- Biggest jump: 132 spots in 1973 (#1,079 → #947)
- Biggest drop: 196 spots in 1974 (#947 → #1,143)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1896 at #113 (425 births)
- Births halved by 1957, 61 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 90 yrs · run 1880–1966
- 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
- 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.
Lela in 1929
Top girls' names in 1929
Top boys' names in 1929
More about 1929
girls
1,116,561 girls got a published name in 1929; 1 in 1,770 of them was named Lela, which outranked 95.2% of the 5,277 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,075,615 boys got a published name in 1929; 1 in 215,123 of them was named Lela, which outranked 12.9% of the 4,545 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Tied with 586 names at #3,959; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.