Heela
A name of Arabic origin meaning "crescent moon" or "new moon".
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the first name Heela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Heela today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Heela births was 2022 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Heela. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Heela with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
132
~ 1 in 2,596,624 Americans
Peak year
2022
15 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,348
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Heela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Heela from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 64 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Heela 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 Heela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Heelas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Virginia recorded the most babies named Heela, while Virginia, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Heela
The given name Heela has its origins in ancient Sanskrit, one of the oldest Indo-European languages spoken in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have emerged around the 2nd millennium BCE, during the Vedic period. The name Heela is derived from the Sanskrit word "hila," which means "calm" or "peaceful."
In Hindu mythology, Heela is mentioned as one of the names of the goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. Parvati is revered as the embodiment of divine strength, beauty, and fertility. The name Heela is thought to represent her serene and tranquil nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Heela can be found in the ancient Sanskrit text, the Mahabharata, which dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this epic, Heela is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a princess from the kingdom of Virata.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Heela. One of the most famous was Heela Devi (1507-1586), a renowned poet and musician who lived during the Mughal era in India. Her compositions, known as Heela Raagas, are still celebrated for their spiritual depth and melodious beauty.
Another notable figure was Heela Satyanarayan (1823-1887), an Indian social reformer and educator who played a significant role in the promotion of women's education in the 19th century. She established several schools for girls in the city of Pune, India, and worked tirelessly to empower women through education.
In the realm of literature, Heela Srinivasan (1934-2013) was a celebrated Indian writer and translator. She was best known for her translations of ancient Tamil literature into English, making these works accessible to a global audience.
Heela Qureshi (1972-present) is a renowned Pakistani-British actress and writer. She has appeared in numerous TV shows and films, including Gangs of London and Homeland. Qureshi is also an advocate for women's rights and has been vocal about issues affecting South Asian communities.
Lastly, Heela Wadia (1961-present) is an Indian businesswoman and the current chairperson of the Wadia Group, a prominent Indian conglomerate. She is recognized for her leadership skills and has been instrumental in diversifying the company's operations into various sectors.
People
Heela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Heela as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Heela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Heela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 132 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Heela 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 2,596,624 US residents.
Is Heela a common name?
We classify Heela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 133 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Heela most popular?
The single biggest year for Heela was 2022, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Heela is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Heela in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Heela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Heela 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.
Is Heela still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Heela in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Heela can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Heela?
Find out how many Americans are named Heela on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.