Total births
2,283
Girls' name · since 1882
Vella
Vella has 2,283 recorded births since 1882 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1915 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5154
- among girls today
- 2,283
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other girls
Vella currently ranks #5154 among girls' names in America, with 2,283 babies recorded since 1882.
Vella has 2,283 recorded births among girls since 1882, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5154 as of the latest data, more common than 71% of girls, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #5154 among girls today
- 2,283 born since 1882
- 1920s peak decade
- 71% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Vella is currently the #5154 girls' name in America, more common than 71% of girls - 2,283 born since 1882, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5154
- among girls today
- 2,283
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other girls
Vella vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5154
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 71% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Vella was born in this single decade.
1915
Single peak year
53 babies were named Vella in 1915 - its busiest year on record.
How Vella compares
2,283 Top 20% higher than 80% 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
Vella's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Vella | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,283 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 53 | 48 | 19,840 |
Vella's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Vella splits its recorded history at 1937: 39% of all births land in the more recent half, 61% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1888 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1915 peak of 53 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Vella at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1915
Current rank
#5,154
Active since
1882
Vella popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1915)
- 53
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Vella by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Vella's strongest decade.
410 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Vella births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 66
1880s
66 births
- 1890s 124
1890s
124 births
- 1900s
1900s
185 births
- 1910s
1910s
393 births
- 1920s
1920s
410 births
- 1930s
1930s
304 births
- 1940s
1940s
198 births
- 1950s 154
1950s
154 births
- 1960s 68
1960s
68 births
- 1970s 11
1970s
11 births
- 1980s 7
1980s
7 births
- 2000s 34
2000s
34 births
- 2010s
2010s
189 births
- 2020s 140
2020s
140 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 410 births (18% of all-time use).
How Vella 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 Vella's total volume
Vella vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Vella by state
Where Vella concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Tennessee | | 43 | 1.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 35 | 1.5% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 26 | 1.1% |
| #4 | Oklahoma | | 21 | 0.9% |
| #5 | Arkansas | | 16 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 11 | 0.5% |
| #7 | California | | 7 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Florida | | 6 | 0.3% |
Tennessee share of Vella's total US births 1.9%
Even split
43 of 2,283 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Vella appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Vella? ▼
Since 1882, Social Security records show 2,283 babies named Vella. Today it holds rank #5154 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1915, with 53 births.
When was Vella most popular? ▼
Vella was most popular in the 1920s decade with 410 total births. The single peak year was 1915.
Where is Vella most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Vella are Tennessee (43 births), Texas (35 births), Kentucky (26 births).
How long has the name Vella been used? ▼
Vella has been recorded in Social Security data since 1882, spanning 144 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Vella? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Velma, Velda, Velva, Velvet, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Vella's data
- Vella's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (410 total births) through the 2020s (140) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Tennessee records the most Vellas (43 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Tennessee 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 Vella
Nearby Names Like Vella
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Vella
Velma Girl
#7969 86,752 births
Velda Girl
7,559 births
Velva Girl
4,274 births
Velvet Girl
#9023 3,096 births
Velia Girl
#13542 2,831 births
Compare Vella side by side: Vella vs Velma Vella vs Velda Vella vs Velva
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Vella
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Vella: #5154 Girls' Name - 2,283 Births, Peak 1915." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/vella. 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 Vella 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 July 2026.