Takela
Of Zulu origin, meaning "she has arrived" or "she is here".
Name Census estimates that about 253 living Americans carry the first name Takela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Takela today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Takela births was 1977 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Takela. 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
253
~ 1 in 1,354,760 Americans
Peak year
1977
17 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2000 SSA rank
#14,821
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Takela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Takela from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 134 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Takela 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 Takela 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 Takela
The name Takela is believed to have originated from the Native American Lakota language, spoken by the Lakota people of the Great Plains region of North America. The name is thought to be derived from the Lakota word "takhéla," which means "to be alive" or "to be born."
In the Lakota culture, names often carry significant meaning and are carefully chosen to reflect the individual's unique characteristics or circumstances surrounding their birth. The name Takela may have been given to children as a way of celebrating new life and expressing gratitude for their arrival into the world.
While the exact origins of the name are not entirely clear, it is believed to have been in use among the Lakota people for centuries, possibly dating back to the pre-colonial era. The name may have been recorded in early historical accounts or anthropological studies of the Lakota and other Native American tribes, although specific references are difficult to pinpoint.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Takela can be found in the annals of the American Indian Wars, where it was borne by Takela (c. 1848-1934), a prominent Lakota chief and leader during the latter part of the 19th century. He was known for his involvement in various battles and negotiations with the United States government.
Another notable individual named Takela was Takela Renville (1832-1892), a Sioux interpreter and diplomat who played a crucial role in facilitating communication and diplomacy between Native American tribes and the U.S. government during the mid-19th century.
In the realm of literature, Takela was the name of a character in the novel "The Light in the Forest" by Conrad Richter, published in 1953. The book depicts the life of a young man raised by the Lenni Lenape tribe and his struggle to adapt to his birth culture after being returned to his white family.
Takela also appears as the name of a fictional character in the comic book series "Extraordinary X-Men" by Marvel Comics, where she is portrayed as a young mutant with the ability to manipulate energy.
Moving further back in history, there are references to individuals named Takela among various Native American tribes, including the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho, though specific details about their lives and accomplishments are often scarce in historical records.
People
Takela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Takela as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Takela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Takela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 253 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Takela 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 1,354,760 US residents.
Is Takela a common name?
We classify Takela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 269 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Takela most popular?
The single biggest year for Takela was 1977, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Takela is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Takela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Takela 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.