Total births
7,680
Girls' name · since 1943
Kala
7,680 babies named Kala in U.S. Social Security records since 1943, with the highest year being 1989. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8510
- among girls today
- 7,680
- born since 1943
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
Kala currently ranks #8510 among girls' names in America, with 7,680 babies recorded since 1943.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kala has been recorded 7,680 times among girls since 1943, currently ranked #8510 nationally and more common than 52% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1943 to 2025.
- #8510 among girls today
- 7,680 born since 1943
- 1990s peak decade
- 52% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kala is currently the #8510 girls' name in America, more common than 52% of girls - 7,680 born since 1943, peaking in the 1990s.
- #8510
- among girls today
- 7,680
- born since 1943
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
Kala vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8510
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 52% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Kala was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
525 babies were named Kala in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Kala compares
7,680 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Kala's all-time total is 20x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kala | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,680 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 525 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kala's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kala splits its recorded history at 1984: 80% of all births land in the more recent half, 20% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1945 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1989 peak of 525 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kala at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1989
Current rank
#8,510
Active since
1943
Kala popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1943–2025
- Peak year (1989)
- 525
- Annual births at peak, across 83 years of records
Kala popularity over time - boys
92 total births recorded since 1972 (Kala as boys' name)
Kala by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Kala's strongest decade.
2,996 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Kala births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 50
1940s
50 births
- 1950s 149
1950s
149 births
- 1960s 298
1960s
298 births
- 1970s 425
1970s
425 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,664 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,996 births
- 2000s 784
2000s
784 births
- 2010s 225
2010s
225 births
- 2020s 89
2020s
89 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 2,996 births (39% of all-time use).
How Kala 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 Kala's total volume
Kala vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kala by state
Where Kala concentrates geographically, total births since 1943
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 427 | 5.6% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 332 | 4.3% |
| #3 | California | | 322 | 4.2% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 306 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Florida | | 303 | 3.9% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 268 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 263 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 257 | 3.3% |
Texas share of Kala's total US births 5.6%
Even split
427 of 7,680 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Kala appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kala? ▼
Kala has been given to 7,680 babies in the U.S. since 1943, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #8510 as of the latest data. 525 babies were born in 1989, its single highest year.
When was Kala most popular? ▼
Kala was most popular in the 1990s decade with 2,996 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Kala most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kala are Texas (427 births), Ohio (332 births), California (322 births).
How long has the name Kala been used? ▼
Kala has been recorded in Social Security data since 1943, spanning 83 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kala? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kali, Kaleigh, Kaley, Kaliyah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kala's data
- Kala's decade-level peak was the 1990s (2,996 total births); usage has since declined to 89 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Kalas (427 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Kala
Nearby Names Like Kala
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kala
Kali Girl
#295 32,527 births
Kaleigh Girl
#2761 16,244 births
Kaley Girl
#2705 13,682 births
Kaliyah Girl
#442 12,946 births
Kallie Girl
#846 12,683 births
Compare Kala side by side: Kala vs Kali Kala vs Kaleigh Kala vs Kaley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kala
Pennelope #8509
399 births · Peak 2017
Kasandra #8511
9,468 births · Peak 1993
Jaynie #8508
1,157 births · Peak 2011
Carlisle #8512
467 births · Peak 2010
Jaclynn #8507
2,812 births · Peak 1990
Dori #8513
4,952 births · Peak 1961
Casandra #8506
15,784 births · Peak 1990
Karena #8514
3,508 births · Peak 1974
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, 1943–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kala: #8510 Girls' Name - 7,680 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kala. 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 Kala 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.