Unisex name · since 1973
Pele
Since 1973, U.S. Social Security records show 52 babies named Pele, peaking in 2011. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #34,642 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 52
- born since 1973
- 2010s
- peak decade
Pele sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 52 recorded since 1973.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pele has been recorded 52 times among girls since 1973, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, 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 1973 to 2019.
- #34,642 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 52 born since 1973
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pele ranks #34,642 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 52 born since 1973, peaking in the 2010s.
- #34,642 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 52
- born since 1973
- 2010s
- peak decade
Pele's 52 recorded births place it above 52.03% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Pele's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Pele's SSA record in two at 2011 and the more recent half accounts for 52% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 48%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1973, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2011 peak of 8, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Pele popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1973–2019
- Peak year (2011)
- 8
- Annual births at peak, across 47 years of records
Pele popularity over time - boys
51 total births recorded since 1975 (Pele as boys' name)
Pele by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (27 births, 52% of the file).
2010s was Pele's strongest decade.
27 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 52% of all-time use.
Pele births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 2000s
2000s
20 births
- 2010s
2010s
27 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 27 births (52% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Keep exploring Pele
Nearby Names Like Pele
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pele
Compare Pele side by side: Pele vs Pelagia Pele vs Pella Pele vs Pelin
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Pele: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2011)
Similar record span (~46 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1973–2019 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Pele 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 August 2026.