Total births
1,328
Girls' name · since 1950
Sela
1,328 babies named Sela in U.S. Social Security records since 1950, with the highest year being 2000. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4132
- among girls today
- 1,328
- born since 1950
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other girls
Sela currently ranks #4132 among girls' names in America, with 1,328 babies recorded since 1950.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sela has been recorded 1,328 times among girls since 1950, currently ranked #4132 nationally and more common than 77% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1950 to 2025.
- #4132 among girls today
- 1,328 born since 1950
- 2000s peak decade
- 77% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sela is currently the #4132 girls' name in America, more common than 77% of girls - 1,328 born since 1950, peaking in the 2000s.
- #4132
- among girls today
- 1,328
- born since 1950
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other girls
Sela vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4132
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 77% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Sela was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
81 babies were named Sela in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
How Sela compares
1,328 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
Sela's all-time total is 3x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sela | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,328 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 81 | 48 | 19,840 |
Sela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Sela's SSA record in two at 2004 and the more recent half accounts for 62% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 38%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1950, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2000 peak of 81, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Sela at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2000
Current rank
#4,132
Active since
1950
Sela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2025
- Peak year (2000)
- 81
- Annual births at peak, across 76 years of records
Sela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Sela's strongest decade.
615 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Sela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 17
1950s
17 births
- 1970s 13
1970s
13 births
- 1980s 17
1980s
17 births
- 1990s 188
1990s
188 births
- 2000s
2000s
615 births
- 2010s
2010s
324 births
- 2020s 154
2020s
154 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 615 births (46% of all-time use).
How Sela 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 Sela's total volume
Sela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Sela by state
Where Sela concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 168 | 12.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 34 | 2.6% |
| #3 | Texas | | 32 | 2.4% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 11 | 0.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 10 | 0.8% |
| #6 | Oregon | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Utah | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Washington | | 5 | 0.4% |
California share of Sela's total US births 12.7%
Even split
168 of 1,328 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sela? ▼
Since 1950, Social Security records show 1,328 babies named Sela. Today it holds rank #4132 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2000, with 81 births.
When was Sela most popular? ▼
Sela was most popular in the 2000s decade with 615 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
Where is Sela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sela are California (168 births), New York (34 births), Texas (32 births).
How long has the name Sela been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Sela since 1950 -- 76 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Sela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Selena, Selma, Selina, Selah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Sela's data
- Sela's decade-level peak was the 2000s (615 total births); usage has since declined to 154 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Selas (168 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 Sela
Nearby Names Like Sela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sela
Selena Girl
#245 59,887 births
Selma Girl
#2776 26,881 births
Selina Girl
#1306 19,225 births
Selah Girl
#279 15,187 births
Selene Girl
#674 9,713 births
Compare Sela side by side: Sela vs Selena Sela vs Selma Sela vs Selina
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sela
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, 1950–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sela: #4132 Girls' Name - 1,328 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sela. 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 Sela 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.