Hula
A Hawaiian name meaning a traditional Polynesian dance.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Hula. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hula today is around 88 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hula births was 1916 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hula. 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
- • The typical person named Hula is about 88 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Hulas were born before 1948.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hula. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1916
9 babies that year
Average age
88
years old
1947 SSA rank
#5,636
Tracked since 1907
Popularity
Hula: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hula from the 1900s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 39 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hula 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 Hula 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 Hula
The name Hula has its origins in the Hawaiian language and culture. It is derived from the Hawaiian word "hula," which refers to a traditional Hawaiian dance and accompanying chant. The hula dance is an integral part of Hawaiian culture and has been practiced for centuries.
In ancient Hawaii, the hula dance was a form of storytelling, used to convey important events, genealogies, and historical accounts. The name Hula was likely given to children born during significant hula celebrations or to those who showed an early affinity for the dance.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Hula was a Hawaiian chieftain who lived in the 16th century. He was renowned for his skill in the hula and his patronage of the arts. His name has been recorded in oral histories and chants passed down through generations.
In the 19th century, Hula was the name of a respected kahuna (priest) who played a crucial role in preserving the traditional Hawaiian culture and practices during the period of Western influence. He was highly regarded for his knowledge of hula and other Hawaiian traditions.
Another notable figure with the name Hula was a Hawaiian queen who ruled in the early 20th century. She was a strong advocate for the preservation of Hawaiian culture and actively supported the revival of the hula dance, which had faced suppression during the previous decades.
Hula was also the name of a renowned hula master who lived in the mid-20th century. He was instrumental in reviving and promoting the art of hula, both in Hawaii and around the world. His teachings and performances helped to ensure the continuation of this important cultural tradition.
In more recent times, Hula has been a name given to individuals born into families with strong ties to Hawaiian culture and traditions. It remains a name closely associated with the rich heritage of the Hawaiian Islands and the art of the hula dance.
People
Hula + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hula 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
Hula: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hula?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hula 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Hula a common name?
We classify Hula as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 82 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hula most popular?
The single biggest year for Hula was 1916, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hula is about 88 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 Hula in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hula a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hula 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 Hula still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hula 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 Hula 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 called Hula?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.