Girls' name · since 1893
Clela
Clela has 287 recorded births since 1893 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #16,293 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 287
- born since 1893
- 1920s
- peak decade
Clela is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 287 have been recorded since 1893.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clela has been recorded 287 times among girls since 1893, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1893 to 1962.
- #16,293 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 287 born since 1893
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clela ranks #16,293 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 287 born since 1893, peaking in the 1920s.
- #16,293 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 287
- born since 1893
- 1920s
- peak decade
Clela's 287 recorded births place it above 77.44% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by Illinois.
Clela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Clela splits its recorded history at 1923: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1893 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 18 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Clela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1893–1962
- Peak year (1918)
- 18
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Clela by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (108 births, 38% of the file).
1920s was Clela's strongest decade.
108 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Clela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 12
1890s
12 births
- 1900s 29
1900s
29 births
- 1910s
1910s
75 births
- 1920s
1920s
108 births
- 1930s
1930s
47 births
- 1940s 11
1940s
11 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 108 births (38% of all-time use).
Clela by state
Where Clela concentrates geographically, total births since 1893
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Clela's data
- Clela's decade-level peak was the 1920s (108 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1960s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Clelas (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Clela
Nearby Names Like Clela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clela
Compare Clela side by side: Clela vs Cleo Clela vs Clementine Clela vs Cleta
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Clela: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1918)
Similar record span (~69 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, 1893–1962 (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 Clela 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.