Total births
32,605
Girls' name · since 1880
Luella
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 32,605 babies named Luella, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #823
- among girls today
- 32,605
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Luella is the #823 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 32,605 recorded since 1880.
Luella has 32,605 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #823 as of the latest data, more common than 95% of girls, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #823 among girls today
- 32,605 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 95% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Luella is currently the #823 girls' name in America, more common than 95% of girls - 32,605 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #823
- among girls today
- 32,605
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Luella vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#823
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 95% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Luella was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
949 babies were named Luella in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Luella compares
32,605 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Luella's all-time total is 85x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Luella | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 32,605 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 949 | 48 | 19,840 |
Luella's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Luella's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 17% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 83%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1991, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1918 peak of 949, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Luella at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1918
Current rank
#823
Active since
1880
Luella popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 949
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Luella popularity over time - boys
16 total births recorded since 1916 (Luella as boys' name)
Luella by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Luella's strongest decade.
7,642 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Luella births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,384
1880s
1,384 births
- 1890s 2,151
1890s
2,151 births
- 1900s 2,895
1900s
2,895 births
- 1910s
1910s
6,648 births
- 1920s
1920s
7,642 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,100 births
- 1940s 1,905
1940s
1,905 births
- 1950s 947
1950s
947 births
- 1960s 502
1960s
502 births
- 1970s 212
1970s
212 births
- 1980s 132
1980s
132 births
- 1990s 100
1990s
100 births
- 2000s 395
2000s
395 births
- 2010s 1,811
2010s
1,811 births
- 2020s 1,781
2020s
1,781 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 7,642 births (23% of all-time use).
How Luella 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 Luella's total volume
Luella vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Luella by state
Where Luella concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | | 1,717 | 5.3% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 1,533 | 4.7% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 1,509 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,345 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 1,251 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 1,163 | 3.6% |
| #7 | New York | | 1,069 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Iowa | | 1,062 | 3.3% |
Minnesota share of Luella's total US births 5.3%
Even split
1,717 of 32,605 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Luella appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Luella? ▼
32,605 babies have been named Luella since 1880. It currently ranks #823 among girls. The peak year was 1918 with 949 births.
When was Luella most popular? ▼
Luella was most popular in the 1920s decade with 7,642 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Luella most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Luella are Minnesota (1,717 births), Ohio (1,533 births), Michigan (1,509 births).
How long has the name Luella been used? ▼
Luella has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Luella? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lue, Luetta, Luellen, Luevenia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Luella's data
- Luella's decade-level peak was the 1920s (7,642 total births); usage has since declined to 1,781 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Minnesota records the most Luellas (1,717 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota 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 Luella
Nearby Names Like Luella
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Luella
Lue Girl
6,474 births
Luetta Girl
#15324 2,073 births
Luellen Girl
690 births
Luevenia Girl
567 births
Luelle Girl
#7190 86 births
Compare Luella side by side: Luella vs Lue Luella vs Luetta Luella vs Luellen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Luella
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Luella: #823 Girls' Name - 32,605 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/luella. 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 Luella 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.