Total births
1,533
Girls' name · since 1989
Akeelah
Since 1989, U.S. Social Security records show 1,533 babies named Akeelah, peaking in 2006. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5887
- among girls today
- 1,533
- born since 1989
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 67%
- more common than other girls
Akeelah currently ranks #5887 among girls' names in America, with 1,533 babies recorded since 1989.
Akeelah has 1,533 recorded births among girls since 1989, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5887 as of the latest data, more common than 67% of girls, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1989 to 2025.
- #5887 among girls today
- 1,533 born since 1989
- 2000s peak decade
- 67% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Akeelah is currently the #5887 girls' name in America, more common than 67% of girls - 1,533 born since 1989, peaking in the 2000s.
- #5887
- among girls today
- 1,533
- born since 1989
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 67%
- more common than other girls
Akeelah vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5887
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 67% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
61% of everyone ever named Akeelah was born in this single decade.
2006
Single peak year
403 babies were named Akeelah in 2006 - its busiest year on record.
How Akeelah compares
1,533 Top 25% higher than 75% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Akeelah's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Akeelah | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,533 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 403 | 48 | 19,840 |
Akeelah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Akeelah's full recorded timeline at 2013, 24% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 76% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1995, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2006 peak of 403 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Akeelah at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2006
Current rank
#5,887
Active since
1989
Akeelah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1989–2025
- Peak year (2006)
- 403
- Annual births at peak, across 37 years of records
Akeelah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Akeelah's strongest decade.
942 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 61% of all-time use.
Akeelah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 7
1980s
7 births
- 1990s 19
1990s
19 births
- 2000s
2000s
942 births
- 2010s
2010s
436 births
- 2020s 129
2020s
129 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 942 births (61% of all-time use).
How Akeelah compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Akeelah's total volume
Akeelah vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Akeelah by state
Where Akeelah concentrates geographically, total births since 1989
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Florida | | 121 | 7.9% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 100 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 75 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 71 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Texas | | 69 | 4.5% |
| #6 | New York | | 65 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 56 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 48 | 3.1% |
Florida share of Akeelah's total US births 7.9%
Even split
121 of 1,533 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Akeelah appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Akeelah? ▼
Since 1989, Social Security records show 1,533 babies named Akeelah. Today it holds rank #5887 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2006, with 403 births.
When was Akeelah most popular? ▼
Akeelah was most popular in the 2000s decade with 942 total births. The single peak year was 2006.
Where is Akeelah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Akeelah are Florida (121 births), Georgia (100 births), Illinois (75 births).
How long has the name Akeelah been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Akeelah since 1989 -- 37 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Akeelah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Akemi, Akela, Akeyla, Akeria, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Akeelah's data
- Akeelah's decade-level peak was the 2000s (942 total births); usage has since declined to 129 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Florida records the most Akeelahs (121 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Florida names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Akeelah
Nearby Names Like Akeelah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Akeelah
Akemi Girl
#4316 927 births
Akela Girl
620 births
Akeyla Girl
344 births
Akeria Girl
305 births
Akeira Girl
262 births
Compare Akeelah side by side: Akeelah vs Akemi Akeelah vs Akela Akeelah vs Akeyla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Akeelah
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1989–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Akeelah: #5887 Girls' Name - 1,533 Births, Peak 2006." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/akeelah. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Akeelah draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.