Total births
5,925
Girls' name · since 1926
Isela
Isela has 5,925 recorded births since 1926 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1998 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1856
- among girls today
- 5,925
- born since 1926
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Isela currently ranks #1856 among girls' names in America, with 5,925 babies recorded since 1926.
Isela has 5,925 recorded births among girls since 1926, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1856 as of the latest data, more common than 90% of girls, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1926 to 2025.
- #1856 among girls today
- 5,925 born since 1926
- 2000s peak decade
- 90% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Isela is currently the #1856 girls' name in America, more common than 90% of girls - 5,925 born since 1926, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1856
- among girls today
- 5,925
- born since 1926
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Isela vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1856
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 90% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Isela was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
196 babies were named Isela in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Isela compares
5,925 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Isela's all-time total is 16x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Isela | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,925 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 196 | 48 | 19,840 |
Isela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Isela's SSA record in two at 1981 and the more recent half accounts for 75% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 25%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1928, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1998 peak of 196, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Isela at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#1,856
Active since
1926
Isela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1926–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 196
- Annual births at peak, across 100 years of records
Isela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Isela's strongest decade.
1,312 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Isela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 12
1920s
12 births
- 1930s 22
1930s
22 births
- 1940s 67
1940s
67 births
- 1950s 144
1950s
144 births
- 1960s 232
1960s
232 births
- 1970s
1970s
903 births
- 1980s
1980s
704 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,153 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,312 births
- 2010s
2010s
776 births
- 2020s
2020s
600 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,312 births (22% of all-time use).
How Isela 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 Isela's total volume
Isela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Isela by state
Where Isela concentrates geographically, total births since 1926
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,088 | 35.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,789 | 30.2% |
| #3 | Arizona | | 297 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 241 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Florida | | 36 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Washington | | 34 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Colorado | | 22 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 11 | 0.2% |
California share of Isela's total US births 35.2%
Even split
2,088 of 5,925 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Isela appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Isela? ▼
Since 1926, Social Security records show 5,925 babies named Isela. Today it holds rank #1856 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1998, with 196 births.
When was Isela most popular? ▼
Isela was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,312 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Isela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Isela are California (2,088 births), Texas (1,789 births), Arizona (297 births).
How long has the name Isela been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Isela since 1926 -- 100 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Isela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Isel, Isella, Isebella, Iselle, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Isela's data
- Isela's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (1,312 total births) through the 2020s (600) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Iselas (2,088 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 Isela
Nearby Names Like Isela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Isela
Isel Girl
#11497 292 births
Isella Girl
#15860 281 births
Isebella Girl
92 births
Iselle Girl
39 births
Iselis Girl
23 births
Compare Isela side by side: Isela vs Isel Isela vs Isella Isela vs Isebella
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Isela
Avril #1855
3,479 births · Peak 2008
Shyla #1857
8,026 births · Peak 2008
Annabeth #1854
2,795 births · Peak 2014
Katia #1858
6,339 births · Peak 1996
Sabine #1853
3,387 births · Peak 2007
Verity #1859
1,852 births · Peak 2025
Dawn #1852
289,641 births · Peak 1970
Dasha #1860
4,133 births · Peak 1995
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, 1926–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Isela: #1856 Girls' Name - 5,925 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/isela. 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 Isela 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.