Total births
693
Girls' name · since 1894
Tela
693 babies named Tela in U.S. Social Security records since 1894, with the highest year being 1985. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 693
- total births
- 1894–2018
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
Tela sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 693 recorded since 1894.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tela has been recorded 693 times among girls since 1894, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1894 to 2018.
- 693 total births
- 1894–2018 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 28% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
693 girls have been named Tela since 1894, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2018.
- 693
- total births
- 1894–2018
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Tela was born in this single decade.
1985
Single peak year
45 babies were named Tela in 1985 - its busiest year on record.
Tela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Tela splits its recorded history at 1984: 65% of all births land in the more recent half, 35% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1894 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1985 peak of 45 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Tela at a glance
Last recorded 2018Peak year
1985
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1894
Tela popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1894–2018
- Peak year (1985)
- 45
- Annual births at peak, across 125 years of records
Tela popularity over time - boys
7 total births recorded since 1997 (Tela as boys' name)
Tela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Tela's strongest decade.
195 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Tela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1940s 12
1940s
12 births
- 1950s 22
1950s
22 births
- 1960s
1960s
84 births
- 1970s
1970s
82 births
- 1980s
1980s
195 births
- 1990s
1990s
161 births
- 2000s
2000s
98 births
- 2010s 34
2010s
34 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 195 births (28% of all-time use).
How Tela 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 Tela's total volume
Tela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Tela by state
Where Tela concentrates geographically, total births since 1894
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tela? ▼
Since 1894, Social Security records show 693 babies named Tela. The most recent recorded year was 2018. Its busiest year on record was 1985, with 45 births.
When was Tela most popular? ▼
Tela was most popular in the 1980s decade with 195 total births. The single peak year was 1985.
Where is Tela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tela are Ohio (11 births), Illinois (5 births).
How long has the name Tela been used? ▼
Tela has been recorded in Social Security data since 1894, spanning 125 years of data through 2018.
What names are similar to Tela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Telisha, Telisa, Telia, Telicia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Tela's data
- Tela's decade-level peak was the 1980s (195 total births); usage has since declined to 34 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Ohio records the most Telas (11 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Ohio 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 Tela
Nearby Names Like Tela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tela
Telisha Girl
1,182 births
Telisa Girl
1,097 births
Telia Girl
709 births
Telicia Girl
489 births
Telena Girl
304 births
Compare Tela side by side: Tela vs Telisha Tela vs Telisa Tela vs Telia
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1894–2018 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tela: Baby Name Since 1894 - 693 Births, Peak 1985." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tela. 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 Tela 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.