Girl · #5,828 in 2026

Thela

Thela was a short-lived noise rock band from New Zealand. It was formed in 1992 and consisted of Dion Workman, Paul Douglas, and Dean Roberts. They released two LPs on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label: Thela in 1995 and Argentina in 1996. Following the band's demise in 1996, all three members undertook solo projects. Parlane and Workman also worked together under the name Parmentier.

Current Rank
#5,828
Peak Rank
#3,869 (1918)
Total Babies
51
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1918
First Year
1955
Last Year
1918
Peak Year
#3869
Peak Rank
51
Total Count
9
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Thela

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

Thela was a short-lived noise rock band from New Zealand. It was formed in 1992 and consisted of Dion Workman, Paul Douglas, and Dean Roberts. They released two LPs on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label: Thela in 1995 and Argentina in 1996. Following the band's demise in 1996, all three members undertook solo projects. Parlane and Workman also worked together under the name Parmentier.

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

The Story of Thela

Thela first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1918, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 7 Thelas were born — ranking #3,869 that year. As of 2026, Thela ranks #5,828 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 51 Thelas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through 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 Thela

Phonetically similar names — useful when Thela 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 Thela

What does the name Thela mean?
Thela was a short-lived noise rock band from New Zealand. It was formed in 1992 and consisted of Dion Workman, Paul Douglas, and Dean Roberts. They released two LPs on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label: Thela in 1995 and Argentina in 1996. Following the band's demise in 1996, all three members undertook solo projects. Parlane and Workman also worked together under the name Parmentier.
How popular is Thela in 2026?
In 2026, Thela ranks #5,828 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Thela most popular?
Thela reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #3,869 that year with 7 babies given the name.
Is Thela a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Thela is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Thela?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Thela include Belzora, Willar, Ardalia. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Belzora
Peak #3869
👧
Willar
Peak #3869
👧
Ardalia
Peak #3869
👧
Corabel
Peak #3869
👧
Nicoline
Peak #3869
👧
Roselma
Peak #3869
👧
Ellnora
Peak #3869
👧
Orell
Peak #3869

About the name Thela

Thela is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 51 births in the dataset. Thela's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #3,869. Use the chart and map above to compare Thela'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.