Keela
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of the Irish name Caoilfhionn meaning "slender and fair".
Name Census estimates that about 989 living Americans carry the first name Keela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Keela today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keela births was 1978 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keela. 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.
People living today
989
~ 1 in 346,567 Americans
Peak year
1978
33 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2023 SSA rank
#16,373
Tracked since 1956
Popularity
Keela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keela from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 259 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keela 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 Keela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Keelas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia recorded the most babies named Keela, while Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Keela
The name Keela is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "kila," which means "play" or "sport." It is thought to have originated around the 5th century BCE during the Vedic period in ancient India.
In ancient Hindu texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, the name Keela is mentioned as a name given to children who were born with a playful and joyful nature. It was believed that these children were blessed with the qualities of innocence, curiosity, and a love for life.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Keela can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem that dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In the Mahabharata, there is a character named Keela, who is described as a skilled archer and a devoted friend of the Pandava princes.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Keela. One of the earliest was Keela Devi, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 10th century CE in the Chola Empire of South India. She is known for her contributions to the field of Sanskrit literature and for her works on philosophy and spirituality.
Another famous Keela was Keela Narayan, a prominent Indian mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 14th century CE. He is credited with making significant contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly in the areas of algebra and trigonometry.
In the 16th century, there was a Keela Singh, a brave warrior and military leader from the Rajput clan of Rajasthan, India. He is known for his heroic battles against the Mughal Empire and for his unwavering loyalty to his people.
During the 19th century, Keela Bai was a renowned Indian classical dancer and courtesan from the state of Uttar Pradesh. She was celebrated for her mastery of the Kathak dance form and for her contributions to the preservation of Indian cultural traditions.
In more recent times, Keela Shastri was an Indian politician and social activist who lived from 1908 to 1992. She was a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement and worked tirelessly for the upliftment of women and the underprivileged communities in India.
People
Keela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keela as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Keela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 989 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keela 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 346,567 US residents.
Is Keela a common name?
We classify Keela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,065 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keela most popular?
The single biggest year for Keela was 1978, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keela is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Keela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keela 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.