ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 👧As Girl Name 1920 First Year 2021 Last Year 1972 Peak Year #5477 Peak Rank 45 Total Count 8 Years Active 👦As Boy Name 2006 First Year 2006 Last Year 2006 Peak Year #12053 Peak Rank 5 Total Count 1 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Fela What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Fela is a diminutive of Olufela used as a nickname. People with the name include:Fela Kuti, Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Durotoye, Nigerian business consultant and politician Fela Sowande, Nigerian musician and composer Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela) 📖 ## The Story of Fela ### As a girl name The earliest SSA record of Fela as a girl name dates back to 1920, when 5 babies received it. 1972 was its biggest year on record, with 9 newborns named Fela — #5,477 in the national rankings. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 22% of all recorded Felas. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2021 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 45 Felas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s. ### As a boy name Fela first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2006, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2006: 5 births, good for #12,053 nationwide. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2006 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 5 Felas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time Girls Boys ## Popularity by State 👧 Girls 👦 Boys ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🎶 ## Names that sound like Fela Phonetically similar names — useful when Fela is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Fella * Fellah * Filla * [Phila](/phila) * Fellow * Fila * Falla * Phyla * Felly * Felloe * [Fala](/fala) * Fulla Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Fela What does the name Fela mean? Fela is a diminutive of Olufela used as a nickname. People with the name include:Fela Kuti, Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Durotoye, Nigerian business consultant and politician Fela Sowande, Nigerian musician and composer How popular is Fela in 2026? In 2026, Fela ranks #13,458 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year. When was Fela most popular? Fela reached its peak popularity in 1972, ranking #5,477 that year with 9 babies given the name. Is Fela a unisex name? Yes — Fela is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 90% of Felas assigned female and 10% assigned male historically. What names go well with Fela? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Fela include Wanona, Alfonso, Jerralyn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names ### 👧 Similar Girl Names [👧WanonaPeak #5477](/wanona)[👧AlfonsoPeak #5477](/alfonso)[👧JerralynPeak #5477](/jerralyn)[👧CherelynPeak #5477](/cherelyn) ### 👦 Similar Boy Names [👦AaryonPeak #12053](/aaryon)[👦AbaPeak #12053](/aba)[👦AbdelhadiPeak #12053](/abdelhadi)[👦AdissonPeak #12053](/adisson) ## About the name Fela Fela is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1920 and has accumulated 45 births in the dataset. Fela's peak popularity came in 1972 when it ranked #5,477\. Use the chart and map above to compare Fela's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1972 → ](/year/1972) * [ Names of the 1970s → ](/decade/1970s) * [ Names starting with "F" → ](/letter/f) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships. * Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.