Total births
901
Girls' name · since 1950
Kela
901 babies named Kela in U.S. Social Security records since 1950, with the highest year being 1994. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 901
- total births
- 1950–2016
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
Kela sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 901 recorded since 1950.
Kela has 901 recorded births among girls since 1950, 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 1950 to 2016.
- 901 total births
- 1950–2016 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 27% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
901 girls have been named Kela since 1950, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2016.
- 901
- total births
- 1950–2016
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Kela was born in this single decade.
1994
Single peak year
32 babies were named Kela in 1994 - its busiest year on record.
Kela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kela's full recorded timeline at 1985, 56% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 44% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1951, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1994 peak of 32 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kela at a glance
Last recorded 2016Peak year
1994
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1950
Kela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2016
- Peak year (1994)
- 32
- Annual births at peak, across 67 years of records
Kela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Kela's strongest decade.
239 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Kela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 18
1950s
18 births
- 1960s 67
1960s
67 births
- 1970s
1970s
211 births
- 1980s
1980s
211 births
- 1990s
1990s
239 births
- 2000s
2000s
140 births
- 2010s 15
2010s
15 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 239 births (27% of all-time use).
How Kela 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 Kela's total volume
Kela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kela by state
Where Kela concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 28 | 3.1% |
| #2 | Hawaii | | 12 | 1.3% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 6 | 0.7% |
California share of Kela's total US births 3.1%
Even split
28 of 901 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kela? ▼
Since 1950, Social Security records show 901 babies named Kela. The most recent recorded year was 2016. Its busiest year on record was 1994, with 32 births.
When was Kela most popular? ▼
Kela was most popular in the 1990s decade with 239 total births. The single peak year was 1994.
Where is Kela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kela are California (28 births), Hawaii (12 births), Louisiana (6 births).
How long has the name Kela been used? ▼
Kela has been recorded in Social Security data since 1950, spanning 67 years of data through 2016.
What names are similar to Kela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kelly, Kelsey, Kelli, Kellie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kela's data
- Kela's decade-level peak was the 1990s (239 total births); usage has since declined to 15 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kelas (28 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 Kela
Nearby Names Like Kela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kela
Kelly Girl
#867 473,965 births
Kelsey Girl
#673 150,416 births
Kelli Girl
#7320 74,891 births
Kellie Girl
#6955 50,754 births
Kelley Girl
#6681 46,099 births
Compare Kela side by side: Kela vs Kelly Kela vs Kelsey Kela vs Kelli
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, 1950–2016 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kela: Baby Name Since 1950 - 901 Births, Peak 1994." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kela. 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 Kela 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.