Lokela
A feminine name of African origin meaning "to be well-mannered".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Lokela. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lokela today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lokela births was 2022 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lokela. 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 Lokela. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2022
5 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,549
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Lokela: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Lokela 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 Lokela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Lokela
The name Lokela has its origins in the Lingala language spoken in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic. Lingala is a Bantu language, and the name Lokela is believed to have originated sometime during the 16th to 18th centuries.
Lokela is derived from the Lingala word "lokela," which means "to be right" or "to be appropriate." It suggests a sense of righteousness, correctness, and suitability. The name was likely given to individuals who were considered to embody these qualities or were born under auspicious circumstances.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Lokela can be found in the accounts of European explorers and missionaries who ventured into the Congo region in the 19th century. These accounts often mentioned local chiefs, elders, or guides who bore the name Lokela, indicating its prevalence among the Lingala-speaking communities of the time.
In the late 19th century, a prominent Congolese leader named Lokela played a significant role in resisting the brutal exploitation of his people by the forces of King Leopold II of Belgium during the colonial era. While details about his life are scarce, his defiance against colonial oppression has been documented in some historical accounts.
Another notable figure with the name Lokela was a Congolese musician and songwriter active in the 1950s and 1960s. Known as Lokela Nzinga, he was a pioneer of the Congolese rumba style and contributed to the development of the country's vibrant music scene during that era.
In more recent times, Lokela Mbongo was a Congolese artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his wooden sculptures depicting traditional Congolese life and culture. He was born in 1944 and his works have been exhibited in various galleries and museums around the world.
Lokela Kalamba was a prominent Congolese politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He played a crucial role in the country's international relations during a period of political turmoil.
While the name Lokela has its roots in the Lingala language and culture, it has also been adopted by other communities across Central Africa, reflecting the region's linguistic and cultural diversity. The name's meaning and historical significance continue to resonate with those who embrace it, serving as a reminder of the importance of righteousness and appropriateness in one's actions and conduct.
People
Lokela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lokela 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
Lokela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lokela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lokela 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Lokela a common name?
We classify Lokela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lokela most popular?
The single biggest year for Lokela was 2022, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lokela is about 4 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 Lokela in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lokela a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lokela in the SSA data are male. 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 Lokela still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lokela 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 Lokela 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 Lokela?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.