Leela
A female given name from Sanskrit used in India, a spelling variant of Lila.
Every Leela since 1898 — 4,545 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Leela
Leela is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #1,282 in 2025 with 175 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1898, 4,545 American babies have been named Leela. Its peak came in 2016, when 232 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Leela stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Leela year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 175 | #1,282 |
| 2024 | 185 | #1,262 |
| 2023 | 179 | #1,282 |
| 2022 | 179 | #1,321 |
| 2021 | 179 | #1,287 |
| 2020 | 194 | #1,194 |
| 2019 | 192 | #1,225 |
| 2018 | 196 | #1,207 |
| 2017 | 217 | #1,146 |
| 2016 | 232 | #1,106 |
| 2015 | 207 | #1,207 |
| 2014 | 218 | #1,146 |
| 2013 | 227 | #1,088 |
| 2012 | 209 | #1,177 |
| 2011 | 201 | #1,202 |
| 2010 | 135 | #1,608 |
| 2009 | 141 | #1,598 |
| 2008 | 134 | #1,674 |
| 2007 | 126 | #1,731 |
| 2006 | 123 | #1,705 |
| 2005 | 74 | #2,394 |
| 2004 | 70 | #2,438 |
| 2003 | 69 | #2,400 |
| 2002 | 46 | #3,122 |
| 2001 | 39 | #3,461 |
| 2000 | 42 | #3,246 |
| 1995 | 16 | #5,834 |
| 1990 | 25 | #4,068 |
| 1985 | 15 | #4,986 |
| 1980 | 19 | #4,076 |
| 1975 | 8 | #6,850 |
| 1970 | 6 | #7,554 |
| 1965 | 9 | #4,675 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — |
| 1920 | 5 | #5,396 |
| 1915 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Leela mean?
A female given name from Sanskrit used in India, a spelling variant of Lila.
How popular is the name Leela in 2025?
Leela ranked #1,282 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 175 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Leela?
4,545 babies have been named Leela in the United States since 1898, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Leela most popular?
Leela peaked in 2016, when 232 newborns received the name.
Is Leela a boy or girl name?
Leela is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Leela rising or falling?
Leela has been roughly stable over the past decade.