Cela
A French name meaning "concealed" or "hidden treasure".
Name Census estimates that about 73 living Americans carry the first name Cela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cela today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cela births was 2000 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cela. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cela. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
73
~ 1 in 4,695,265 Americans
Peak year
2000
9 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2022 SSA rank
#15,773
Tracked since 1931
Popularity
Cela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cela from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 35 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cela by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cela
The name Cela has its origins in the Slavic languages, particularly in the Serbo-Croatian linguistic group. It likely emerged in the medieval period, around the 9th or 10th century CE. The name is derived from the Slavic word "tsel," which means "whole" or "complete." It may also be related to the Old Church Slavonic word "tselu," meaning "to preserve" or "to keep safe."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cela can be found in the "Miroslav Gospel," a medieval Slavic manuscript dating back to the 12th century. In this religious text, the name Cela appears as a masculine given name, although its exact context and significance are not entirely clear.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Cela. One of the most famous was Cela Navalić (1360-1434), a Croatian nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the defense of Dalmatia against the Ottoman Turks during the 15th century.
Another prominent figure was Cela Sekula (1451-1529), a Serbian guerrilla leader and hajduk (outlaw) who fought against the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. His exploits and resistance against Ottoman rule have been celebrated in numerous folk songs and legends throughout the Balkans.
In the realm of literature, Cela Milinović (1781-1841) was a Serbian poet and writer who is considered one of the pioneers of modern Serbian literature. His works, which often explored themes of patriotism and national identity, had a significant influence on subsequent generations of Serbian authors.
The name Cela has also been associated with religious figures, such as Cela Bogdanović (1615-1687), a Serbian Orthodox monk and writer who authored several theological works and played a prominent role in the cultural and religious life of the Serbian community in the 17th century.
Lastly, Cela Mihailović (1892-1946) was a Yugoslav Partisan leader and military commander who led the resistance against the Axis powers during World War II. He was a controversial figure, with some considering him a hero and others viewing him as a collaborator with the Nazi regime.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Cela, showcasing its deep roots and cultural significance within the Slavic world.
People
Cela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cela as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 73 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cela going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,695,265 US residents.
Is Cela a common name?
We classify Cela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 90 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cela most popular?
The single biggest year for Cela was 2000, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cela is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cela in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.