Total births
597
Girls' name · since 1903
Nela
597 babies named Nela in U.S. Social Security records since 1903, with the highest year being 2019. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7623
- among girls today
- 597
- born since 1903
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other girls
597 babies have been named Nela since 1903, making it today's #7623 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nela has been recorded 597 times among girls since 1903, currently ranked #7623 nationally and more common than 57% 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 1903 to 2025.
- #7623 among girls today
- 597 born since 1903
- 2010s peak decade
- 57% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nela is currently the #7623 girls' name in America, more common than 57% of girls - 597 born since 1903, peaking in the 2010s.
- #7623
- among girls today
- 597
- born since 1903
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other girls
Nela vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7623
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 57% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Nela was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
27 babies were named Nela in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Nela compares
597 Top 41% higher than 59% 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
Nela's all-time total is 56% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nela | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 597 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 27 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nela's full recorded timeline at 1962, 67% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 33% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1903, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2019 peak of 27 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nela at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2019
Current rank
#7,623
Active since
1903
Nela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1903–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 27
- Annual births at peak, across 123 years of records
Nela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Nela's strongest decade.
172 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Nela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 16
1900s
16 births
- 1910s 49
1910s
49 births
- 1920s 59
1920s
59 births
- 1930s 19
1930s
19 births
- 1940s 27
1940s
27 births
- 1950s 26
1950s
26 births
- 1960s 12
1960s
12 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s
2000s
103 births
- 2010s
2010s
172 births
- 2020s
2020s
104 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 172 births (29% of all-time use).
How Nela 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 Nela's total volume
Nela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nela by state
Where Nela concentrates geographically, total births since 1903
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 10 | 1.7% |
| #2 | California | | 6 | 1.0% |
| #3 | Florida | | 5 | 0.8% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 5 | 0.8% |
Illinois share of Nela's total US births 1.7%
Even split
10 of 597 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nela? ▼
Since 1903, Social Security records show 597 babies named Nela. Today it holds rank #7623 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2019, with 27 births.
When was Nela most popular? ▼
Nela was most popular in the 2010s decade with 172 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Where is Nela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nela are Illinois (10 births), California (6 births), Florida (5 births).
How long has the name Nela been used? ▼
Nela has been recorded in Social Security data since 1903, spanning 123 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nellie, Nell, Nelda, Nelly, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nela's data
- Nela's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (172 total births) through the 2020s (104) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Illinois records the most Nelas (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois 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 Nela
Nearby Names Like Nela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nela
Nellie Girl
#521 152,691 births
Nell Girl
#1457 27,612 births
Nelda Girl
#8966 20,139 births
Nelly Girl
#1360 7,792 births
Nelle Girl
#5022 5,794 births
Compare Nela side by side: Nela vs Nellie Nela vs Nell Nela vs Nelda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nela
Roosevelt #7622
363 births · Peak 1933
Onalee #7624
1,007 births · Peak 1928
Mickey #7621
6,546 births · Peak 1948
Lillyan #7625
2,426 births · Peak 2009
Kansas #7620
1,231 births · Peak 2002
Noble #7626
486 births · Peak 1921
Ysabel #7619
1,498 births · Peak 1998
Nadeen #7627
1,499 births · Peak 2001
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, 1903–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nela: #7623 Girls' Name - 597 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nela. 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 Nela 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.