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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201915peak #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 1915

  • 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: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedWAIdaho: 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: #363 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,970 girlsMNIllinois: #235 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 2,131 girlsILWisconsin: #324 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,531 girlsWIMichigan: #195 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,391 girlsMINew York: #488 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 10,172 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedRIOregon: #109 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 425 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: #155 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 863 girlsIAIndiana: #144 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 879 girlsINOhio: #269 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 2,853 girlsOHPennsylvania: #462 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 9,694 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedNJConnecticut: #233 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,339 girlsCTCalifornia: #394 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,729 girlsCAUtah: #138 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 504 girlsUTColorado: #136 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 674 girlsCONebraska: #159 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 873 girlsNEMissouri: #137 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 614 girlsMOKentucky: #114 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 513 girlsKYWest Virginia: #298 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,114 girlsWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedVAMaryland: 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: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedNMKansas: #147 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 742 girlsKSArkansas: #136 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 516 girlsARTennessee: #100 for girls · 57 births · 1 in 376 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #127 for girls · 53 births · 1 in 547 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #164 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 874 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #83 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 306 girlsOKLouisiana: #177 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 801 girlsLAMississippi: #148 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 638 girlsMSAlabama: #130 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 541 girlsALGeorgia: #182 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 936 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Lela, so not publishedHITexas: #111 for girls · 90 births · 1 in 479 girlsTXFlorida: #144 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 600 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Oklahoma#83 · 1 in 306
  2. Tennessee#100 · 1 in 376
  3. Oregon#109 · 1 in 425
  4. Texas#111 · 1 in 479
  5. Kentucky#114 · 1 in 513

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oklahoma#83551 in 306
Tennessee#100571 in 376
Oregon#109111 in 425
Texas#111901 in 479
Kentucky#114461 in 513
North Carolina#127531 in 547
Alabama#130431 in 541
Arkansas#136301 in 516
Colorado#13691 in 674
Missouri#137431 in 614
Utah#13881 in 504
Florida#144141 in 600
Indiana#144261 in 879
Kansas#147181 in 742
Mississippi#148261 in 638
Iowa#155221 in 863
Nebraska#159121 in 873
South Carolina#164201 in 874
Louisiana#177211 in 801
Georgia#182311 in 936
Michigan#195201 in 1,391
Connecticut#23351 in 2,339
Illinois#235251 in 2,131
Ohio#269161 in 2,853
West Virginia#29871 in 2,114
Wisconsin#32461 in 3,531
Minnesota#36351 in 3,970
California#39451 in 3,729
Pennsylvania#46291 in 9,694
New York#48891 in 10,172
Alaska
Arizona
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Idaho
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
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 1915

girls
#213
774 births · 1 in 1,271 girls

Top girls' names in 1915

  1. #1Mary58,187
  2. #2Helen30,866
  3. #3Dorothy25,154
  4. #4Margaret23,054
  5. #5Ruth21,878
  6. #6Mildred15,254
  7. #7Anna15,119
  8. #8Elizabeth14,103
  9. #9Frances12,786
  10. #10Evelyn11,595
  11. #213Lela774
More about 1915

girls

983,852 girls got a published name in 1915; 1 in 1,271 of them was named Lela, which outranked 95.7% of the 4,967 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Lela
  1. #210Joan784
  2. #211Luella783
  3. #212Sallie781
  4. #213Lela774
  5. #214Maude771
  6. #215Etta766
  7. #216Elva753
Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. 500Gerda#1,444#944
  2. 451Theda#1,034#583
  3. 441Dominga#1,385#944
  4. 354Vernon#1,344#990
  5. 308Loyce#1,147#839
Fallers
  1. 383Drusilla#956#1,339
  2. 342Rossie#798#1,140
  3. 335Arlie#855#1,190
  4. 329Orene#956#1,285
  5. 329Margot#988#1,317

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

See the top 100 for 1915