Girls' name · since 1888
Vela
1,082 babies named Vela in U.S. Social Security records since 1888, with the highest year being 1915. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7,110 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,557 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,082
- born since 1888
- 1910s
- peak decade
Vela currently ranks #6557 among girls' names in America, with 1,082 babies recorded since 1888.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Vela has been recorded 1,082 times among girls since 1888, currently ranked #6557 nationally and more common than 62% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #7,110 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #6,557 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 1,082 born since 1888
- 1910s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Vela ranks #7,110 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,557 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 1,082 born since 1888, peaking in the 1910s.
- #7,110 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,557 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,082
- born since 1888
- 1910s
- peak decade
Vela's 1,082 recorded births place it above 90.17% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
How Vela compares
1,082 Top 31% higher than 69% of 17,297 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
Vela's all-time total is 188% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Vela | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,082 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 38 | 21 | 19,840 |
Vela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Vela splits its recorded history at 1934: 45% of all births land in the more recent half, 55% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1890 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1915 peak of 38 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Vela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (1915)
- 38
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Vela by decade
1910s is the heaviest window (205 births, 19% of the file).
1910s was Vela's strongest decade.
205 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Vela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1890s 48
1890s
48 births
- 1900s
1900s
108 births
- 1910s
1910s
205 births
- 1920s
1920s
180 births
- 1930s
1930s
104 births
- 1940s 53
1940s
53 births
- 1950s 40
1950s
40 births
- 1960s 32
1960s
32 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s 12
2000s
12 births
- 2010s
2010s
165 births
- 2020s
2020s
119 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 205 births (19% of all-time use).
How Vela 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 Vela's total volume
Vela by state
Where Vela concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 53 | 4.9% |
| #2 | California | | 48 | 4.4% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 22 | 2.0% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 10 | 0.9% |
| #5 | Arkansas | | 5 | 0.5% |
53 of 1,082 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Vela? ▼
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When was Vela most popular? ▼
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What to do with Vela's data
- Vela's usage has stayed within range of its 1910s decade-level peak (205 total births) through the 2020s (119) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Velas (53 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Vela
Nearby Names Like Vela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Vela
Compare Vela side by side: Vela vs Velma Vela vs Velda Vela vs Velva
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Vela
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Vela: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1915)
Similar record span (~137 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, 1888–2025 (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 Vela 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.