Girls' name · since 1955
Chela
Chela has 474 recorded births since 1955 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1985 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #12,252 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 474
- born since 1955
- 1980s
- peak decade
Chela sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 474 recorded since 1955.
Social Security Administration records show Chela recorded 474 times among girls since 1955, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1955 to 2011.
- #12,252 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 474 born since 1955
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Chela ranks #12,252 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 474 born since 1955, peaking in the 1980s.
- #12,252 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 474
- born since 1955
- 1980s
- peak decade
Chela's 474 recorded births place it above 83.04% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by Virginia.
Chela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Chela's full recorded timeline at 1989, 43% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 57% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1970, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1985 peak of 79 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Chela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1955–2011
- Peak year (1985)
- 79
- Annual births at peak, across 57 years of records
Chela by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (185 births, 39% of the file).
1980s was Chela's strongest decade.
185 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Chela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 6
1950s
6 births
- 1960s 6
1960s
6 births
- 1970s
1970s
84 births
- 1980s
1980s
185 births
- 1990s
1990s
113 births
- 2000s 69
2000s
69 births
- 2010s 11
2010s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 185 births (39% of all-time use).
Chela by state
Where Chela concentrates geographically, total births since 1955
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Virginia | | 27 | 5.7% |
| #2 | California | | 13 | 2.7% |
| #3 | District of Columbia | | 10 | 2.1% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 7 | 1.5% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 6 | 1.3% |
27 of 474 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chela? ▼
Where does Chela sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Chela most popular? ▼
Where is Chela most popular? ▼
How long has the name Chela been used? ▼
What names are similar to Chela? ▼
What to do with Chela's data
- Chela's decade-level peak was the 1980s (185 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Virginia records the most Chelas (27 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Virginia names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Chela
Nearby Names Like Chela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chela
Compare Chela side by side: Chela vs Cheryl Chela vs Chelsea Chela vs Cheyenne
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Chela: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1985)
Similar record span (~56 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1955–2011 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Chela 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 August 2026.