Lakela
Of Hawaiian origin, a feminine name meaning "calmness" or "carefree".
Name Census estimates that about 61 living Americans carry the first name Lakela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lakela today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lakela births was 1980 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lakela. 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 Lakela. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
61
~ 1 in 5,618,924 Americans
Peak year
1980
10 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
1989 SSA rank
#11,622
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Lakela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lakela from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 51 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
Lakela 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 Lakela 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 Lakela
The name Lakela has its roots in the Hawaiian language and culture, originating from the Polynesian islands in the central Pacific Ocean. It is believed to have emerged around the 15th century when the first Polynesian settlers arrived in Hawaii.
Lakela is derived from the Hawaiian word "laka," which means "red" or "reddish-brown." It is speculated that the name was initially used to describe the vibrant colors of the Hawaiian landscape, particularly the reddish-brown hues of the volcanic soil and sunsets.
In ancient Hawaiian culture, names were often inspired by nature and held significant meaning. The name Lakela likely reflected a deep connection to the natural world and a celebration of the islands' unique beauty.
While there are no specific historical references to the name Lakela in ancient Hawaiian texts or religious scriptures, it is evident that the name has been in use for centuries within the Hawaiian community.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Lakela dates back to the late 18th century when Captain James Cook and his crew made contact with the Hawaiian Islands. In the journals of Cook's voyages, there are mentions of individuals with the name Lakela, indicating its existence and usage at that time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Lakela:
1. Lakela Kaio (1862-1938), a respected Hawaiian scholar and teacher who dedicated her life to preserving and promoting Hawaiian language and culture.
2. Lakela Kekuewa (1901-1976), a renowned Hawaiian musician and composer known for his contributions to the traditional Hawaiian music genre.
3. Lakela Pilialoha (1925-2008), a celebrated Hawaiian hula dancer and kumu hula (hula instructor) who played a significant role in preserving and perpetuating the art of hula.
4. Lakela Kahelelani (1948-2021), a Hawaiian activist and community leader who tirelessly advocated for the rights and recognition of the indigenous Hawaiian people.
5. Lakela Makua (1972-present), a contemporary Hawaiian artist and sculptor whose work explores themes of identity, cultural heritage, and environmental conservation.
These individuals, spanning different eras, have contributed to various aspects of Hawaiian culture, arts, education, and advocacy, carrying the name Lakela with pride and embodying the spirit of their island heritage.
People
Lakela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lakela as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lakela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lakela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 61 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lakela 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 5,618,924 US residents.
Is Lakela a common name?
We classify Lakela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 57.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 65 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lakela most popular?
The single biggest year for Lakela was 1980, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lakela is about 44 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 Lakela in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lakela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lakela 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 Lakela still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lakela 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 Lakela 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 common is the name Lakela?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.