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
Show data for
Peak · girls
1896 · 425 births
Debut · girls
106 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
43,005
since 1880

Lela over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Lela has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201932peak #113, 1896girls
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
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#2,36876—
2024#2,20386—
2023#2,14289—
2022#1,961100—
2021#1,816111—
2020#1,808109—
2019#1,763116—
2018#1,554139—
2017#1,545142—
2016#1,512150—
2015#1,526147—
2014#1,471152—
2013#1,440156—
2012#1,322178—
2011#1,540142—
2010#1,536145—
2009#1,444161—
2008#1,486157—
2007#1,370176—
2006#1,462152—
2005#1,471143—
2004#1,498134—
2003#1,579122—
2002#1,720106—
2001#1,641111—
2000#1,533118—
1999#1,73892—
1998#2,24463—
1997#2,17463—
1996#1,89876—
1995#2,30957—
1994#2,43252—
1993#1,94272—
1992#2,31856—
1991#1,77980—
1990#1,86276—
1989#1,92567—
1988#1,86366—
1987#1,51984—
1986#1,58875—
1985#1,37394—
1984#1,34390—
1983#1,220104—
1982#1,34592—
1981#1,193110—
1980#1,47482—
1979#1,226106—
1978#1,194105—
1977#1,206101—
1976#1,21693—
1975#1,30185—
1974#1,143101—
1973#947127—
1972#1,079106—
1971#1,074112—
1970#961132—
1969#1,066106—
1968#893133—
1967#1,011103—
1966#897126—
1965#819147—
1964#811166—
1963#801168—
1962#814165—
1961#744195—
1960#786169—
1959#696207—
1958#673216—
1957#684209—
1956#620238—
1955#588244—
1954#562250—
1953#555248—
1952#514270—
1951#550234—
1950#493266—
1949#417356—
1948#444323—
1947#455323—
1946#445301—
1945#394326—
1944#390328—
1943#392344—
1942#365371—
1941#348355—
1940#352335—
1939#333359—
1938#320384#3,1756
1937#302418—
1936#301407—
1935#290427—
1934#284466#3,6795
1933#273510#3,2686
1932#275504—
1931#259558—
1930#259586#4,0015
1929#252631#3,9595
1928#243659#3,6976
1927#250682#4,2105
1926#244721—
1925#228818—
1924#223863—
1923#226816#3,8226
1922#220865#3,5327
1921#212907—
1920#218878—
1919#207898#3,7366
1918#209896#3,7286
1917#212828—
1916#199888—
1915#213774—
1914#202647—
1913#188595—
1912#184523—
1911#162489—
1910#161469—
1909#161414—
1908#161411—
1907#144453—
1906#137447—
1905#134465—
1904#135431—
1903#133420—
1902#125459—
1901#117443—
1900#122530—
1899#116417—
1898#115459—
1897#116438—
1896#113425—
1895#121388—
1894#113413—
1893#120358—
1892#124353—
1891#117337—
1890#127304—
1889#133268—
1888#126292—
1887#131207—
1886#122230#9595
1885#139168—
1884#119213—
1883#126163—
1882#126143—
1881#127125—
1880#141106—
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 1932

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedNHWashington: #239 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,759 girlsWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedMNIllinois: #242 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 2,105 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedWIMichigan: #460 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 7,340 girlsMINew York: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedRIOregon: #176 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 990 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedSDIowa: #255 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,222 girlsIAIndiana: #222 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,898 girlsINOhio: #284 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 3,047 girlsOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #446 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,890 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedCONebraska: #208 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,455 girlsNEMissouri: #191 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,152 girlsMOKentucky: #303 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,484 girlsKYWest Virginia: #288 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,193 girlsWVVirginia: #387 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,905 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: #205 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 788 girlsNMKansas: #149 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 776 girlsKSArkansas: #178 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 781 girlsARTennessee: #189 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 969 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #194 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 1,048 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #221 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,390 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #154 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 708 girlsOKLouisiana: #176 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 750 girlsLAMississippi: #141 for girls · 39 births · 1 in 565 girlsMSAlabama: #198 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 997 girlsALGeorgia: #235 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,464 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedHITexas: #206 for girls · 58 births · 1 in 970 girlsTXFlorida: #306 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,044 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Mississippi#141 · 1 in 565
  2. Kansas#149 · 1 in 776
  3. Oklahoma#154 · 1 in 708
  4. Louisiana#176 · 1 in 750
  5. Oregon#176 · 1 in 990

Best ever in a state: #70 in Mississippi, 1911.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#141391 in 565
Kansas#149171 in 776
Oklahoma#154311 in 708
Louisiana#176281 in 750
Oregon#17651 in 990
Arkansas#178241 in 781
Tennessee#189281 in 969
Missouri#191241 in 1,152
North Carolina#194351 in 1,048
Alabama#198301 in 997
New Mexico#20561 in 788
Texas#206581 in 970
Nebraska#20871 in 1,455
South Carolina#221151 in 1,390
Indiana#222121 in 1,898
Georgia#235211 in 1,464
Washington#23951 in 1,759
Illinois#242241 in 2,105
Iowa#25581 in 2,222
Ohio#284151 in 3,047
West Virginia#28881 in 2,193
Kentucky#303111 in 2,484
Florida#30661 in 2,044
Virginia#38751 in 4,905
California#44671 in 4,890
Michigan#46051 in 7,340
Alaska———
Arizona———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New York———
North Dakota———
Pennsylvania———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
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
  • 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)
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
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,915#119 (1884)#129
1890s3,892#113 (1896)#118
1900s4,473#117 (1901)#137
1910s7,007#161 (1910)#194
1920s7,840#212 (1921)#232
1930s4,619#259 (1930)#290
1940s3,362#348 (1941)#400
1950s2,382#493 (1950)#594
1960s1,478#744 (1961)#864
1970s1,068#947 (1973)#1,135
1980s864#1,193 (1981)#1,484
1990s687#1,738 (1999)#2,070
2000s1,380#1,370 (2007)#1,520
2010s1,467#1,322 (2012)#1,521
2020s571#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 1932

girls
#275
504 births · 1 in 2,117 girls

Top girls' names in 1932

  1. #1Mary59,883
  2. #2Betty34,420
  3. #3Barbara26,318
  4. #4Dorothy24,974
  5. #5Joan21,044
  6. #6Patricia17,992
  7. #7Margaret16,556
  8. #8Helen16,376
  9. #9Shirley14,476
  10. #10Doris12,910
  11. #275Lela504
More about 1932

girls

1,067,148 girls got a published name in 1932; 1 in 2,117 of them was named Lela, which outranked 94.6% of the 5,098 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Lela
  1. #272Isabel516
  2. #273Glenna515
  3. #273Willa515
  4. #275Lela504
  5. #275Etta504
  6. #277Fern503
  7. #278Ola498
  8. #279Luella495

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1931
Risers
  1. ↑ 963Dian#1,876 → #913
  2. ↑ 519Carleen#1,394 → #875
  3. ↑ 357Jimmy#1,336 → #979
  4. ↑ 347Letty#1,287 → #940
  5. ↑ 340Letitia#1,148 → #808
Fallers
  1. ↓ 350Blossom#970 → #1,320
  2. ↓ 332Luetta#844 → #1,176
  3. ↓ 305Roy#887 → #1,192
  4. ↓ 289Sofia#887 → #1,176
  5. ↓ 282Joretta#463 → #745

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1932 →