Total births
1,325
Girls' name · since 1880
Rella
Rella has 1,325 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #13489
- among girls today
- 1,325
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 24%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Rella is the #13489 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 1,325 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rella has been recorded 1,325 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #13489 nationally and more common than 24% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #13489 among girls today
- 1,325 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 24% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rella is currently the #13489 girls' name in America, more common than 24% of girls - 1,325 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #13489
- among girls today
- 1,325
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 24%
- more common than other girls
Rella vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#13489
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 24% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Rella was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
26 babies were named Rella in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Rella compares
1,325 Top 27% higher than 73% 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
Rella's all-time total is 3x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rella | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,325 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 26 | 48 | 19,840 |
Rella's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rella splits its recorded history at 1932: 44% of all births land in the more recent half, 56% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1882 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1921 peak of 26 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rella at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#13,489
Active since
1880
Rella popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 26
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Rella by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Rella's strongest decade.
236 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Rella births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 69
1880s
69 births
- 1890s
1890s
115 births
- 1900s
1900s
100 births
- 1910s
1910s
179 births
- 1920s
1920s
236 births
- 1930s
1930s
191 births
- 1940s
1940s
151 births
- 1950s
1950s
120 births
- 1960s 46
1960s
46 births
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s 11
1980s
11 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s 6
2000s
6 births
- 2010s 48
2010s
48 births
- 2020s 42
2020s
42 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 236 births (18% of all-time use).
How Rella 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 Rella's total volume
Rella vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Rella by state
Where Rella concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 27 | 2.0% |
| #2 | Maine | | 11 | 0.8% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.4% |
Kentucky share of Rella's total US births 2.0%
Even split
27 of 1,325 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rella? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 1,325 babies named Rella. Today it holds rank #13489 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1921, with 26 births.
When was Rella most popular? ▼
Rella was most popular in the 1920s decade with 236 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Rella most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rella are Kentucky (27 births), Maine (11 births), Louisiana (6 births).
How long has the name Rella been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Rella since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Rella? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Relda, Relena, Relinda, Relma, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Rella's data
- Rella's decade-level peak was the 1920s (236 total births); usage has since declined to 42 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Rellas (27 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky 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 Rella
Nearby Names Like Rella
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rella
Relda Girl
565 births
Relena Girl
#15700 113 births
Relinda Girl
45 births
Relma Girl
32 births
Relia Girl
27 births
Compare Rella side by side: Rella vs Relda Rella vs Relena Rella vs Relinda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rella
Osa #13488
683 births · Peak 1892
Claudine #13490
11,323 births · Peak 1970
Corine #13487
14,547 births · Peak 1920
Celie #13491
519 births · Peak 1916
Kitty #13486
11,657 births · Peak 1947
Rennie #13492
940 births · Peak 1922
Jettie #13485
3,665 births · Peak 1918
Adell #13493
6,214 births · Peak 1921
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. "Rella: #13489 Girls' Name - 1,325 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rella. 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 Rella 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.