Total births
502
Girls' name · since 1950
Cala
502 babies named Cala in U.S. Social Security records since 1950, with the highest year being 1990. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #11262
- among girls today
- 502
- born since 1950
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other girls
502 babies have been named Cala since 1950, making it today's #11262 girls' name.
Cala has 502 recorded births among girls since 1950, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #11262 as of the latest data, more common than 36% of girls, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1950 to 2025.
- #11262 among girls today
- 502 born since 1950
- 1990s peak decade
- 36% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cala is currently the #11262 girls' name in America, more common than 36% of girls - 502 born since 1950, peaking in the 1990s.
- #11262
- among girls today
- 502
- born since 1950
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other girls
Cala vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#11262
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 36% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Cala was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
30 babies were named Cala in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Cala compares
502 Top 45% higher than 55% 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
Cala's all-time total is 31% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cala | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 502 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 30 | 48 | 19,840 |
Cala's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cala's SSA record in two at 2002 and the more recent half accounts for 36% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 64%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1950, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1990 peak of 30, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cala at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1990
Current rank
#11,262
Active since
1950
Cala popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 30
- Annual births at peak, across 76 years of records
Cala by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Cala's strongest decade.
185 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Cala births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1980s
1980s
108 births
- 1990s
1990s
185 births
- 2000s
2000s
92 births
- 2010s 57
2010s
57 births
- 2020s 55
2020s
55 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 185 births (37% of all-time use).
How Cala 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 Cala's total volume
Cala vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cala? ▼
Since 1950, Social Security records show 502 babies named Cala. Today it holds rank #11262 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1990, with 30 births.
When was Cala most popular? ▼
Cala was most popular in the 1990s decade with 185 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
How long has the name Cala been used? ▼
Records for Cala go back to 1950, giving 76 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Cala? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Callie, Cali, Calista, Calliope, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Cala's data
- Cala's decade-level peak was the 1990s (185 total births); usage has since declined to 55 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Cala
Nearby Names Like Cala
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cala
Callie Girl
#176 70,190 births
Cali Girl
#493 23,342 births
Calista Girl
#1453 7,504 births
Calliope Girl
#498 6,098 births
Caleigh Girl
#2711 5,768 births
Compare Cala side by side: Cala vs Callie Cala vs Cali Cala vs Calista
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cala
Krystina #11261
4,819 births · Peak 1987
Lenae #11263
791 births · Peak 1999
Saralynn #11260
441 births · Peak 2014
Marisella #11264
487 births · Peak 1985
Cally #11259
1,773 births · Peak 1990
Billiejo #11265
1,464 births · Peak 1974
Angelynn #11258
674 births · Peak 2013
Karri #11266
4,493 births · Peak 1976
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, 1950–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cala: #11262 Girls' Name - 502 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cala. 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 Cala 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.