Girl · #9,651 in 2026

Petula

Petula is an English feminine given name of uncertain origin. The best known bearer of the name is British entertainer Petula Clark, whose given name is Sally and for whom Petula was a childhood pet name invented by her father. The name has also been in occasional use as an independent given name throughout the Anglosphere.

  • English
Current Rank
#9,651
Peak Rank
#1,909 (1968)
Total Babies
179
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1965
First Year
1977
Last Year
1968
Peak Year
#1909
Peak Rank
179
Total Count
11
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Petula

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Petula is an English feminine given name of uncertain origin. The best known bearer of the name is British entertainer Petula Clark, whose given name is Sally and for whom Petula was a childhood pet name invented by her father. The name has also been in occasional use as an independent given name throughout the Anglosphere.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
Etymology
The name might be a modern invention based on the flower name petunia , or an elaboration of the English term of endearment "pet" in combination with the suffix -ula as in the name Ursula . Petula might also be derived from the Late Latin petulare , meaning " supplicant ".

The Story of Petula

Petula first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1965, with 19 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1968: 39 births, good for #1,909 nationwide. About 65% of every Petula on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. Petula last appeared in the published SSA data in 1977, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 179 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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 Petula

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

  • Petala
  • Pachouli
  • Pennella
  • Patchily
  • Peschel
  • Patchouli
  • Speciale
  • Panela
  • Penally
  • Pettily
  • Patchouly
  • Pendula

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Petula

What does the name Petula mean?
Petula is an English feminine given name of uncertain origin. The best known bearer of the name is British entertainer Petula Clark, whose given name is Sally and for whom Petula was a childhood pet name invented by her father. The name has also been in occasional use as an independent given name throughout the Anglosphere.
What is the origin of the name Petula?
Petula has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Petula in 2026?
In 2026, Petula ranks #9,651 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Petula most popular?
Petula reached its peak popularity in 1968, ranking #1,909 that year with 39 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Petula most popular?
Petula has historically been most popular in New York. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Petula.
Is Petula a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Petula is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Petula?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Petula include Adlee, Wendelin, Laysha. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Adlee
Peak #1909
👧
Wendelin
Peak #1909
👧
Laysha
Peak #1909
👧
Collene
Peak #1908
👧
Sanya
Peak #1908
👧
Shannel
Peak #1910
👧
Shareka
Peak #1910
👧
Daira
Peak #1908

About the name Petula

Petula is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1965 and has accumulated 179 births in the dataset. Petula's peak popularity came in 1968 when it ranked #1,909. Use the chart and map above to compare Petula'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.