Lela
Girl name · #2368 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 76 baby girls were named Lela, placing it at #2368 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1526, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 23,684 girls born in 2025 was named Lela.
The 145-year story
Lela first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 106 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1921, when 907 girls were named Lela — good for #212 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Lela per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Lela against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lela in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lela is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Lela will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Lela is most common
State-level data for Lela is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Lela
Statistically, parents drawn to Lela tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Manuela, Lula, Carmela, Lavina, and Neva.
ManuelaLulaCarmelaLavinaNevaLaviniaLillaLizzie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lela | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 76 | #2368 |
| 2024 | 86 | #2203 |
| 2023 | 89 | #2142 |
| 2022 | 100 | #1961 |
| 2021 | 111 | #1816 |
| 2020 | 109 | #1808 |
| 2019 | 116 | #1763 |
| 2018 | 139 | #1554 |
| 2017 | 142 | #1545 |
| 2016 | 150 | #1512 |
| 2015 | 147 | #1526 |
| 2014 | 152 | #1471 |
| 2013 | 156 | #1440 |
| 2012 | 178 | #1322 |
| 2011 | 142 | #1540 |
| 2010 | 145 | #1536 |
| 2009 | 161 | #1444 |
| 2008 | 157 | #1486 |
| 2007 | 176 | #1370 |
| 2006 | 152 | #1462 |
| 2005 | 143 | #1471 |
| 2004 | 134 | #1498 |
| 2003 | 122 | #1579 |
| 2002 | 106 | #1720 |
| 2001 | 111 | #1641 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Lela a popular girl name?
Lela ranked #2368 among girls in 2025 with 76 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1526.
When was the name Lela most popular?
Lela peaked in 1921, when 907 American girls received the name (ranked #212 that year). Since 1921 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Lela?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 23,684 newborn American girls was named Lela. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.