Total births
6,138
Girls' name · since 1979
Nala
6,138 babies named Nala in U.S. Social Security records since 1979, with the highest year being 2019. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #754
- among girls today
- 6,138
- born since 1979
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Nala currently ranks #754 among girls' names in America, with 6,138 babies recorded since 1979.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nala has been recorded 6,138 times among girls since 1979, currently ranked #754 nationally and more common than 96% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 2025.
- #754 among girls today
- 6,138 born since 1979
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nala is currently the #754 girls' name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 6,138 born since 1979, peaking in the 2010s.
- #754
- among girls today
- 6,138
- born since 1979
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Nala vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#754
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Nala was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
428 babies were named Nala in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Nala compares
6,138 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Nala's all-time total is 16x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nala | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,138 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 428 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nala's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nala splits its recorded history at 2009: 83% of all births land in the more recent half, 17% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1979 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2019 peak of 428 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nala at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2019
Current rank
#754
Active since
1979
Nala popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 428
- Annual births at peak, across 47 years of records
Nala by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Nala's strongest decade.
2,837 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Nala births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1990s 320
1990s
320 births
- 2000s 822
2000s
822 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,837 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,154 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 2,837 births (46% of all-time use).
How Nala 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 Nala's total volume
Nala vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nala by state
Where Nala concentrates geographically, total births since 1979
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 573 | 9.3% |
| #2 | Florida | | 444 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 433 | 7.1% |
| #4 | New York | | 426 | 6.9% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 320 | 5.2% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 264 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 217 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 217 | 3.5% |
California share of Nala's total US births 9.3%
Even split
573 of 6,138 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Nala appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nala? ▼
Since 1979, Social Security records show 6,138 babies named Nala. Today it holds rank #754 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2019, with 428 births.
When was Nala most popular? ▼
Nala was most popular in the 2010s decade with 2,837 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Where is Nala most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nala are California (573 births), Florida (444 births), Texas (433 births).
How long has the name Nala been used? ▼
Nala has been recorded in Social Security data since 1979, spanning 47 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nala? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nalani, Nallely, Naliyah, Nalah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nala's data
- Nala's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (2,837 total births) through the 2020s (2,154) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Nalas (573 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 Nala
Nearby Names Like Nala
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nala
Nalani Girl
#531 7,954 births
Nallely Girl
#5063 2,994 births
Naliyah Girl
#1893 1,332 births
Nalah Girl
#4350 1,001 births
Nalia Girl
#3609 853 births
Compare Nala side by side: Nala vs Nalani Nala vs Nallely Nala vs Naliyah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nala
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, 1979–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nala: #754 Girls' Name - 6,138 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nala. 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 Nala 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.