Girls' name · since 1889
Zela
609 babies named Zela in U.S. Social Security records since 1889, with the highest year being 1916. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10,454 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #8,381 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 609
- born since 1889
- 1910s
- peak decade
609 babies have been named Zela since 1889, making it today's #8381 girls' name.
Zela has 609 recorded births among girls since 1889, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8381 as of the latest data, more common than 52% of girls, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1889 to 2025.
- #10,454 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #8,381 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 609 born since 1889
- 1910s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zela ranks #10,454 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,381 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 609 born since 1889, peaking in the 1910s.
- #10,454 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #8,381 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 609
- born since 1889
- 1910s
- peak decade
Zela's 609 recorded births place it above 85.54% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
How Zela compares
609 Top 41% higher than 59% 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
Zela's all-time total is 62% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zela | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 609 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 21 | 21 | 19,840 |
Zela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Zela's SSA record in two at 1926 and the more recent half accounts for 43% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 57%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1893, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1916 peak of 21, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Zela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1889–2025
- Peak year (1916)
- 21
- Annual births at peak, across 137 years of records
Zela by decade
1910s is the heaviest window (142 births, 23% of the file).
1910s was Zela's strongest decade.
142 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Zela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 8
1880s
8 births
- 1890s 44
1890s
44 births
- 1900s
1900s
60 births
- 1910s
1910s
142 births
- 1920s
1920s
135 births
- 1930s
1930s
57 births
- 1940s 37
1940s
37 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 2000s 7
2000s
7 births
- 2010s
2010s
57 births
- 2020s
2020s
57 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 142 births (23% of all-time use).
How Zela 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 Zela's total volume
Zela by state
Where Zela concentrates geographically, total births since 1889
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 11 | 1.8% |
| #2 | West Virginia | | 11 | 1.8% |
11 of 609 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Zela's data
- Zela's usage has stayed within range of its 1910s decade-level peak (142 total births) through the 2020s (57) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Zelas (11 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 Zela
Nearby Names Like Zela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zela
Compare Zela side by side: Zela vs Zelma Zela vs Zelda Zela vs Zella
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zela
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Zela: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1916)
Similar record span (~136 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, 1889–2025 (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 Zela 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.