Girls' name · since 1976
Chelan
Chelan has 72 recorded births since 1976 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1992 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #30,765 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 72
- born since 1976
- 1990s
- peak decade
72 girls have been named Chelan since 1976, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Chelan has 72 recorded births among girls since 1976, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, 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 1976 to 2000.
- #30,765 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 72 born since 1976
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Chelan ranks #30,765 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 72 born since 1976, peaking in the 1990s.
- #30,765 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 72
- born since 1976
- 1990s
- peak decade
Chelan's 72 recorded births place it above 57.3% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Washington.
Chelan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Chelan's full recorded timeline at 1993, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1982, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1992 peak of 9 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Chelan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2000
- Peak year (1992)
- 9
- Annual births at peak, across 25 years of records
Chelan by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (47 births, 65% of the file).
1990s was Chelan's strongest decade.
47 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 65% of all-time use.
Chelan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 8
1970s
8 births
- 1980s 11
1980s
11 births
- 1990s
1990s
47 births
- 2000s 6
2000s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 47 births (65% of all-time use).
Chelan by state
Where Chelan concentrates geographically, total births since 1976
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Washington | | 5 | 6.9% |
5 of 72 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chelan? ▼
Where does Chelan sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Chelan most popular? ▼
Where is Chelan most popular? ▼
How long has the name Chelan been used? ▼
What names are similar to Chelan? ▼
What to do with Chelan's data
- Chelan's decade-level peak was the 1990s (47 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Washington records the most Chelans (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Washington names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Chelan
Nearby Names Like Chelan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chelan
Compare Chelan side by side: Chelan vs Cheryl Chelan vs Chelsea Chelan 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 Chelan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1992)
Similar record span (~24 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, 1976–2000 (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 Chelan 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.