Total births
287
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.
- 287
- total births
- 1893–1962
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 38%
- born in that 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.
- 287 total births
- 1893–1962 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 38% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
287 girls have been named Clela since 1893, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1962.
- 287
- total births
- 1893–1962
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 38%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Clela was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
18 babies were named Clela in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1962Peak year
1918
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1893
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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
How popular is the name Clela? ▼
Clela has been given to 287 babies in the U.S. since 1893, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1962. 18 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
When was Clela most popular? ▼
Clela was most popular in the 1920s decade with 108 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Clela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Clela are Illinois (5 births), Ohio (5 births).
How long has the name Clela been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Clela since 1893 -- 70 years through the most recent 1962 data.
What names are similar to Clela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cleo, Clementine, Cleta, Clemmie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- 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 Clela
Nearby Names Like Clela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clela
Cleo Girl
#607 33,565 births
Clementine Girl
#474 13,676 births
Cleta Girl
4,013 births
Clemmie Girl
2,637 births
Cleopatra Girl
#3402 2,484 births
Compare Clela side by side: Clela vs Cleo Clela vs Clementine Clela vs Cleta
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Clela: Baby Name Since 1893 - 287 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/clela. 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 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 July 2026.