Lulah
A feminine name with unclear origins, possibly derived from an Arabic word meaning "pearls".
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Lulah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lulah today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lulah births was 1889 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lulah. 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 Lulah with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lulah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
1889
9 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2018 SSA rank
#17,145
Tracked since 1886
Popularity
Lulah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lulah from the 1880s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 21 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
Lulah 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 Lulah 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 Lulah
The name Lulah is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the 19th century. It is a feminine name derived from the English word "lull," meaning a temporary calm or peaceful period. The name may have been initially used to symbolize tranquility or serenity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lulah can be found in the 1881 novel "The Story of an African Farm" by Olive Schreiner. In the book, a character named Lulah is portrayed as a calm and composed young woman, reflecting the essence of the name's meaning.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lulah. One such person was Lulah Ragsdale (1892-1958), an American actress and vaudeville performer who gained fame in the early 20th century. She appeared in various Broadway productions and silent films during her career.
Another notable Lulah was Lulah Mallory (1904-1972), an American painter and printmaker known for her depictions of rural life and landscapes. Her works were exhibited in various galleries and museums across the United States.
In the realm of sports, Lulah Ellison (1886-1972) was a pioneer in women's basketball. She played for the Stanford University women's basketball team in the early 1900s and later became a coach, contributing to the development of the sport.
The name Lulah also appears in literary works, such as the novel "The Optimist's Daughter" by Eudora Welty, published in 1972. In the book, a character named Lulah Meadows plays a significant role, exemplifying the calm and composed nature often associated with the name.
Additionally, Lulah Gross (1858-1932) was an American philanthropist and social activist who dedicated her life to improving the lives of underprivileged children and families in Chicago during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the name Lulah may not be as common today as it once was, its historical roots and associations with calmness, serenity, and tranquility have left a lasting impact on its unique and intriguing meaning.
People
Lulah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lulah 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
Lulah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lulah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lulah 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 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Lulah a common name?
We classify Lulah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 53 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lulah most popular?
The single biggest year for Lulah was 1889, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lulah is about 14 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 Lulah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lulah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lulah 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 Lulah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lulah 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 Lulah 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 Lulah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.