Total births
4,545
Girls' name · since 1898
Leela
Leela has 4,545 recorded births since 1898 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2016 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1259
- among girls today
- 4,545
- born since 1898
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
4,545 babies have been named Leela since 1898, making it today's #1259 girls' name.
Leela has 4,545 recorded births among girls since 1898, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1259 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1898 to 2025.
- #1259 among girls today
- 4,545 born since 1898
- 2010s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Leela is currently the #1259 girls' name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 4,545 born since 1898, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1259
- among girls today
- 4,545
- born since 1898
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Leela vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1259
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
45% of everyone ever named Leela was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
232 babies were named Leela in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Leela compares
4,545 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Leela's all-time total is 12x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Leela | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,545 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 232 | 48 | 19,840 |
Leela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Leela's SSA record in two at 1990 and the more recent half accounts for 92% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 8%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1898, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2016 peak of 232, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Leela at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2016
Current rank
#1,259
Active since
1898
Leela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1898–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 232
- Annual births at peak, across 128 years of records
Leela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Leela's strongest decade.
2,034 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 45% of all-time use.
Leela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1940s 16
1940s
16 births
- 1950s 17
1950s
17 births
- 1960s 47
1960s
47 births
- 1970s 109
1970s
109 births
- 1980s 158
1980s
158 births
- 1990s 194
1990s
194 births
- 2000s
2000s
864 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,034 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,091 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 2,034 births (45% of all-time use).
How Leela 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 Leela's total volume
Leela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Leela by state
Where Leela concentrates geographically, total births since 1898
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 655 | 14.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 336 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 288 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 171 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Florida | | 141 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 121 | 2.7% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 97 | 2.1% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 95 | 2.1% |
California share of Leela's total US births 14.4%
Even split
655 of 4,545 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Leela appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Leela? ▼
Leela has been given to 4,545 babies in the U.S. since 1898, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1259 as of the latest data. 232 babies were born in 2016, its single highest year.
When was Leela most popular? ▼
Leela was most popular in the 2010s decade with 2,034 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Leela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Leela are California (655 births), New York (336 births), Texas (288 births).
How long has the name Leela been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Leela since 1898 -- 128 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Leela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lee, Leeann, Leena, Leesa, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Leela's data
- Leela's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (2,034 total births) through the 2020s (1,091) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Leelas (655 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 Leela
Nearby Names Like Leela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Leela
Lee Girl
#5149 62,299 births
Leeann Girl
#3705 14,334 births
Leena Girl
#1090 5,785 births
Leesa Girl
4,124 births
Leeanna Girl
#5811 4,008 births
Compare Leela side by side: Leela vs Lee Leela vs Leeann Leela vs Leena
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Leela
Aarna #1258
2,848 births · Peak 2021
Milagros #1260
10,474 births · Peak 2008
Raylee #1257
5,037 births · Peak 2017
Kaira #1261
3,335 births · Peak 2019
Kylah #1256
6,281 births · Peak 2009
Austyn #1262
4,928 births · Peak 2021
Kalia #1255
5,870 births · Peak 2008
Emberlyn #1263
2,196 births · Peak 2021
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, 1898–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Leela: #1259 Girls' Name - 4,545 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/leela. 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 Leela 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.