Kala

#9,457 for girls in 2025, 10 births · Last seen for boys in 2010 at #10,766
Given to girls 98.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1989 · 525 births
Debut · girls
7 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
7,680
since 1943

Kala over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Kala has never cracked the top 400 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201988peak #462, 1989girls
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#9,45710
2024#8,44312
2023#6,40918
2022#8,54212
2021#7,25015
2020#5,48722
2019#5,98620
2018#6,24819
2017#5,66122
2016#4,63230
2015#4,58430
2014#8,05314
2013#5,83422
2012#5,71023
2011#7,43616
2010#4,86029#10,7666
2009#5,37826#12,4915
2008#3,08455#11,0376
2007#4,47533
2006#3,41447
2005#2,73161
2004#2,30975
2003#2,16780
2002#1,573118
2001#1,396136
2000#1,270153#9,1126
1999#1,143171
1998#1,040190
1997#949209
1996#852234
1995#691308
1994#673315
1993#638351
1992#635354
1991#551426
1990#543438
1989#462525#5,6158
1988#491462
1987#529381#6,9515
1986#670273
1985#765223
1984#798199#5,5616
1983#624277
1982#761217
1981#1,95854
1980#1,98153
1979#2,05049
1978#1,84154#4,1578
1977#1,92251#4,5827
1976#1,99644#3,7249
1975#2,27836#4,7976
1974#2,02941#4,1907
1973#2,22335#4,5056
1972#2,59827#3,9637
1971#1,77250
1970#2,12038
1969#2,05837
1968#2,53824
1967#2,11731
1966#2,30827
1965#2,41125
1964#2,19530
1963#2,01534
1962#2,16330
1961#2,15030
1960#2,09730
1959#2,51721
1958#2,37623
1957#2,92616
1956#3,04815
1955#2,55319
1954#3,9679
1953#2,81215
1952#2,58117
1951#4,8336
1950#3,9628
1949#4,2357
1948#3,35010
1947#5,2955
1946#3,6658
1945#4,5565
1944#3,3788
1943#3,8017
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First appearance
1943

The first year at least five girls were named Kala! It came in at #3,801, and was given to 7 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1945, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Kala is popular in 1988

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedNHWashington: #463 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,101 girlsWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #393 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,067 girlsMNIllinois: #488 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 3,510 girlsILWisconsin: #401 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,184 girlsWIMichigan: #419 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 3,378 girlsMINew York: #924 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 8,773 girlsNYMassachusetts: #718 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 7,445 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedRIOregon: #363 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,241 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedSDIowa: #363 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,607 girlsIAIndiana: #322 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 2,262 girlsINOhio: #419 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 3,431 girlsOHPennsylvania: #315 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 2,185 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedNJConnecticut: #473 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,750 girlsCTCalifornia: #973 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 9,138 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedUTColorado: #496 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,477 girlsCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedNEMissouri: #333 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,436 girlsMOKentucky: #187 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,077 girlsKYWest Virginia: #160 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 866 girlsWVVirginia: #531 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,485 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedDEArizona: #696 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,037 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedNMKansas: #421 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,864 girlsKSArkansas: #261 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,545 girlsARTennessee: #204 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,258 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #328 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,255 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #278 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,562 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #441 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,901 girlsOKLouisiana: #400 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,392 girlsLAMississippi: #220 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,122 girlsMSAlabama: #172 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 983 girlsALGeorgia: #270 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,744 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Kala, so not publishedHITexas: #756 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 6,109 girlsTXFlorida: #471 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 3,472 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. West Virginia#160 · 1 in 866
  2. Alabama#172 · 1 in 983
  3. Kentucky#187 · 1 in 1,077
  4. Tennessee#204 · 1 in 1,258
  5. Mississippi#220 · 1 in 1,122

Best ever in a state: #151 in Alabama, 1990.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
West Virginia#160101 in 866
Alabama#172221 in 983
Kentucky#187191 in 1,077
Tennessee#204231 in 1,258
Mississippi#220121 in 1,122
Arkansas#26181 in 1,545
Georgia#270231 in 1,744
South Carolina#278121 in 1,562
Pennsylvania#315321 in 2,185
Indiana#322151 in 2,262
North Carolina#328171 in 2,255
Missouri#333131 in 2,436
Iowa#36361 in 2,607
Oregon#36371 in 2,241
Minnesota#39391 in 3,067
Louisiana#400111 in 2,392
Wisconsin#40191 in 3,184
Michigan#419171 in 3,378
Ohio#419201 in 3,431
Kansas#42151 in 2,864
Oklahoma#44161 in 2,901
Washington#46391 in 3,101
Florida#471211 in 3,472
Connecticut#47351 in 3,750
Illinois#488211 in 3,510
Colorado#49661 in 3,477
Virginia#53181 in 4,485
Arizona#69651 in 5,037
Massachusetts#71851 in 7,445
Texas#756211 in 6,109
New York#924131 in 8,773
California#973251 in 9,138
Alaska
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Idaho
Maine
Maryland
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
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 Kala
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 1,014 spots since 2024 (#8,443#9,457)
  • 3,970 spots since 2020 (#5,487#9,457)
  • 4,873 spots since 2015 (#4,584#9,457)
  • Biggest jump: 1,197 spots in 1982 (#1,958#761)
  • Biggest drop: 174 spots in 1984 (#624#798)
Rise & fade · girls
46 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1943
  • Peaked 1989 at #462 (525 births)
  • Births halved by 1996, 7 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 16 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 16 yrs · run 1982–1997
Share of babies · girls
1 in 3,512
  • Highest: 1 in 3,512 girls born in 1989 were named Kala (0.03%)
  • Latest: 1 in 160,727 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · girls
The 1990s
  • 39.0% of all girls named Kala (2,996) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1940s50#3,350 (1948)#4,040
1950s149#2,376 (1958)#3,158
1960s298#2,015 (1963)#2,205
1970s425#1,772 (1971)#2,083
1980s2,664#462 (1989)#904
1990s2,996#543 (1990)#772
2000s784#1,270 (2000)#2,780
2010s225#4,584 (2015)#5,900
2020s89#5,487 (2020)#7,598

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.

Kala in 1988

girls
#491
462 births · 1 in 3,855 girls

Top girls' names in 1988

  1. #1Jessica51,556
  2. #2Ashley49,977
  3. #3Amanda39,459
  4. #4Sarah28,374
  5. #5Jennifer27,893
  6. #6Brittany26,816
  7. #7Stephanie22,843
  8. #8Samantha20,700
  9. #9Nicole20,315
  10. #10Elizabeth20,042
  11. #491Kala462
More about 1988

girls

1,780,854 girls got a published name in 1988; 1 in 3,855 of them was named Kala, which outranked 96.5% of the 13,883 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kala
  1. #487Lakeisha463
  2. #487Rhonda463
  3. #487Tori463
  4. #491Kala462
  5. #491Shirley462
  6. #493Brandie461
  7. #494Celeste459
  8. #494Stephany459

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

Biggest movers since 1987
Risers
  1. 2,890Jalissa#3,857#967
  2. 2,381Taja#3,101#720
  3. 1,710Whitley#2,156#446
  4. 1,225Jalisa#1,662#437
  5. 883Jaleesa#1,227#344
Fallers
  1. 620Channing#590#1,210
  2. 346Denisse#954#1,300
  3. 319Jeana#966#1,285
  4. 314Eliana#826#1,140
  5. 311Nakia#893#1,204

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

See the top 100 for 1988