Maela
Girl name · #3055 in 2025 · Uniqueness 43/100
In 2025, 54 baby girls were named Maela, placing it at #3055 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #7266, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 33,333 girls born in 2025 was named Maela.
The 23-year story
Maela first appears in the Social Security records in 2002, when 7 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 70 babies and a rank of #2533. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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 Maela per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Maela against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Maela in class?
Maela scores 43 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Maela is most common
State-level data for Maela is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Maela
Statistically, parents drawn to Maela tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ciela, Aela, Antonela, Vaela, and Raela.
CielaAelaAntonelaVaelaRaelaMailaXelaAylla
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Maela | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 54 | #3028 |
| 2024 | 70 | #2533 |
| 2023 | 54 | #3047 |
| 2022 | 21 | #5793 |
| 2021 | 28 | #4719 |
| 2020 | 26 | #4880 |
| 2019 | 21 | #5798 |
| 2018 | 13 | #8146 |
| 2017 | 9 | #10689 |
| 2016 | 16 | #7230 |
| 2015 | 16 | #7266 |
| 2014 | 11 | #9517 |
| 2013 | 19 | #6462 |
| 2012 | 14 | #8208 |
| 2011 | 10 | #10374 |
| 2010 | 10 | #10451 |
| 2009 | 12 | #9379 |
| 2008 | 12 | #9476 |
| 2007 | 10 | #10818 |
| 2006 | 12 | #9286 |
| 2002 | 7 | #12187 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Maela a popular girl name?
Maela ranked #3055 among girls in 2025 with 54 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #7266.
When was the name Maela most popular?
Maela peaked in 2024, when 70 American girls received the name (ranked #2533 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Maela?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 33,333 newborn American girls was named Maela. It scores 43/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.