Total births
4,408
Girls' name · since 1880
Calla
Calla has 4,408 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2017 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1511
- among girls today
- 4,408
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
4,408 babies have been named Calla since 1880, making it today's #1511 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Calla has been recorded 4,408 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #1511 nationally and more common than 91% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1511 among girls today
- 4,408 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 91% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Calla is currently the #1511 girls' name in America, more common than 91% of girls - 4,408 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1511
- among girls today
- 4,408
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
Calla vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1511
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 91% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Calla was born in this single decade.
2017
Single peak year
176 babies were named Calla in 2017 - its busiest year on record.
How Calla compares
4,408 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Calla's all-time total is 12x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Calla | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,408 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 176 | 48 | 19,840 |
Calla's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Calla splits its recorded history at 1955: 87% of all births land in the more recent half, 13% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1891 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2017 peak of 176 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Calla at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2017
Current rank
#1,511
Active since
1880
Calla popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 176
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Calla by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Calla's strongest decade.
1,350 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Calla births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 79
1880s
79 births
- 1890s 83
1890s
83 births
- 1900s 51
1900s
51 births
- 1910s 97
1910s
97 births
- 1920s 100
1920s
100 births
- 1930s 59
1930s
59 births
- 1940s 52
1940s
52 births
- 1950s 111
1950s
111 births
- 1960s 51
1960s
51 births
- 1970s 66
1970s
66 births
- 1980s 266
1980s
266 births
- 1990s 440
1990s
440 births
- 2000s
2000s
770 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,350 births
- 2020s
2020s
833 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,350 births (31% of all-time use).
How Calla 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 Calla's total volume
Calla vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Calla by state
Where Calla concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 224 | 5.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 172 | 3.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 144 | 3.3% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 116 | 2.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 95 | 2.2% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 92 | 2.1% |
| #7 | Florida | | 83 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 82 | 1.9% |
California share of Calla's total US births 5.1%
Even split
224 of 4,408 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Calla appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Calla? ▼
4,408 babies have been named Calla since 1880. It currently ranks #1511 among girls. The peak year was 2017 with 176 births.
When was Calla most popular? ▼
Calla was most popular in the 2010s decade with 1,350 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Calla most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Calla are California (224 births), Texas (172 births), New York (144 births).
How long has the name Calla been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Calla since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Calla? ▼
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 Calla's data
- Calla's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,350 total births) through the 2020s (833) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Callas (224 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Calla
Nearby Names Like Calla
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Calla
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 Calla side by side: Calla vs Callie Calla vs Cali Calla vs Calista
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Calla
Eleanore #1510
18,724 births · Peak 1921
Ester #1512
16,265 births · Peak 1925
Delia #1509
37,318 births · Peak 1957
Mari #1513
16,579 births · Peak 1957
Emmalynn #1508
4,780 births · Peak 2015
Alannah #1514
7,392 births · Peak 2015
Cooper #1507
2,782 births · Peak 2025
Kyndall #1515
6,428 births · Peak 2011
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Calla: #1511 Girls' Name - 4,408 Births, Peak 2017." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/calla. 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 Calla 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.