Girl · #2,311 in 2026

Lela

Name: Popularity of the name Lela in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Lela, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#2,311

Peak Rank

#113 (1921)

Total Babies

43K

5-Yr Trend

-29%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

1921

Peak Year

#113

Peak Rank

43K

Total Count

147

Years Active

The Story of Lela

Lela first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 106 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 907 Lelas were born — ranking #212 that year. As of 2026, Lela ranks #2,311 for baby girls with 80 births, falling sharply (-29%). In total, more than 43K Lelas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Lela

Phonetically similar names — useful when Lela is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lela

What does the name Lela mean?

Lela is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1880. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Lela in 2026?

In 2026, Lela ranks #2,311 among girls' names in the U.S., with 80 babies given the name that year.

When was Lela most popular?

Lela reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #113 that year with 907 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Lela most popular?

Lela has historically been most popular in Texas, Idaho, Mississippi. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Lela.

Is Lela a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Lela is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Lela?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Lela include Nina, Rosie, Mable. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Lela

Lela is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 43K births in the dataset. Lela's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #113. Use the chart and map above to compare Lela's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

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.