Total births
2,187
Girls' name · since 1881
Lelah
2,187 babies named Lelah in U.S. Social Security records since 1881, with the highest year being 1915. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10286
- among girls today
- 2,187
- born since 1881
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 42%
- more common than other girls
2,187 babies have been named Lelah since 1881, making it today's #10286 girls' name.
Lelah has 2,187 recorded births among girls since 1881, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #10286 as of the latest data, more common than 42% of girls, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #10286 among girls today
- 2,187 born since 1881
- 1910s peak decade
- 42% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Lelah is currently the #10286 girls' name in America, more common than 42% of girls - 2,187 born since 1881, peaking in the 1910s.
- #10286
- among girls today
- 2,187
- born since 1881
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 42%
- more common than other girls
Lelah vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#10286
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 42% of names given to girls today.
1910s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Lelah was born in this single decade.
1915
Single peak year
43 babies were named Lelah in 1915 - its busiest year on record.
How Lelah compares
2,187 Top 21% higher than 79% 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
Lelah's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lelah | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,187 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 43 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lelah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lelah's full recorded timeline at 1946, 32% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 68% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1952, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1915 peak of 43 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lelah at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1915
Current rank
#10,286
Active since
1881
Lelah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1915)
- 43
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Lelah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Lelah's strongest decade.
309 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Lelah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
139 births
- 1890s
1890s
294 births
- 1900s
1900s
211 births
- 1910s
1910s
309 births
- 1920s
1920s
306 births
- 1930s
1930s
173 births
- 1940s 82
1940s
82 births
- 1950s 50
1950s
50 births
- 1960s 42
1960s
42 births
- 1970s 64
1970s
64 births
- 1980s 59
1980s
59 births
- 1990s 30
1990s
30 births
- 2000s
2000s
174 births
- 2010s
2010s
179 births
- 2020s 75
2020s
75 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 309 births (14% of all-time use).
How Lelah 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 Lelah's total volume
Lelah vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lelah by state
Where Lelah concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Indiana | | 21 | 1.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 19 | 0.9% |
| #3 | West Virginia | | 15 | 0.7% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 14 | 0.6% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 12 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #7 | California | | 6 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Iowa | | 5 | 0.2% |
Indiana share of Lelah's total US births 1.0%
Even split
21 of 2,187 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lelah? ▼
Since 1881, Social Security records show 2,187 babies named Lelah. Today it holds rank #10286 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1915, with 43 births.
When was Lelah most popular? ▼
Lelah was most popular in the 1910s decade with 309 total births. The single peak year was 1915.
Where is Lelah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lelah are Indiana (21 births), Ohio (19 births), West Virginia (15 births).
How long has the name Lelah been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Lelah since 1881 -- 145 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Lelah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lela, Lelia, Lelani, Lella, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lelah's data
- Lelah's decade-level peak was the 1910s (309 total births); usage has since declined to 75 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Indiana records the most Lelahs (21 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Indiana 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 Lelah
Nearby Names Like Lelah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lelah
Lela Girl
#2203 43,005 births
Lelia Girl
#5615 15,645 births
Lelani Girl
#3141 1,010 births
Lella Girl
864 births
Lelar Girl
629 births
Compare Lelah side by side: Lelah vs Lela Lelah vs Lelia Lelah vs Lelani
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lelah
Marilla #10285
802 births · Peak 2022
Rozella #10287
2,762 births · Peak 1927
Louetta #10284
1,548 births · Peak 1933
Chloie #10288
1,626 births · Peak 2009
Magdalen #10283
3,267 births · Peak 1915
Louanna #10289
1,376 births · Peak 1948
Albina #10282
5,006 births · Peak 1917
Orah #10290
291 births · Peak 1892
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, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lelah: #10286 Girls' Name - 2,187 Births, Peak 1915." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lelah. 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 Lelah 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.