Teyla
A feminine name of unknown origin, potentially meaning "watered".
Name Census estimates that about 316 living Americans carry the first name Teyla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Teyla today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Teyla births was 2008 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Teyla. 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
316
~ 1 in 1,084,666 Americans
Peak year
2008
31 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,400
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Teyla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Teyla from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 161 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Teyla 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 Teyla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Teylas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Teyla
The name Teyla is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages, which was spoken in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500 BCE. The name is thought to be derived from the Sumerian word "tela," meaning "life" or "to live."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Teyla can be found in cuneiform inscriptions from the city of Ur, dating back to around 2500 BCE. These inscriptions mention a woman named Teyla who was a priestess in the temple of the moon god Nanna. This suggests that the name may have held religious or spiritual significance in ancient Sumerian culture.
The name Teyla also appears in several ancient Babylonian texts from around 1800 BCE, where it is mentioned as the name of a woman who was a skilled weaver and textile worker. This connection to the arts and crafts of weaving may have been another aspect of the name's meaning or symbolism in ancient Mesopotamian societies.
Throughout the centuries, the name Teyla has been associated with various historical figures, including Teyla of Cappadocia (born circa 230 CE), who was a Christian martyr and saint revered in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Another notable figure was Teyla al-Khwarizmi (850 - 925 CE), a Persian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of algebra.
In the medieval period, Teyla was the name of a 12th-century Andalusian poet and scholar from Seville, Spain. Her poetry and works on philosophy and literature were highly regarded during her lifetime and in the centuries that followed.
Moving forward in history, Teyla was also the name of a 16th-century Ottoman Turkish noblewoman and philanthropist who established several schools and hospitals in Istanbul and other parts of the Ottoman Empire. She was known for her charitable works and dedication to education and healthcare.
Another notable figure named Teyla was a 19th-century Ethiopian empress and wife of Emperor Tewodros II. She played a significant role in the political and military affairs of the Ethiopian Empire during her husband's reign and was known for her intelligence and leadership skills.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Teyla, highlighting its rich cultural and historical significance across various regions and time periods.
People
Teyla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Teyla 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
Teyla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Teyla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 316 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Teyla 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 1,084,666 US residents.
Is Teyla a common name?
We classify Teyla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 319 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Teyla most popular?
The single biggest year for Teyla was 2008, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Teyla is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Teyla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Teyla 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.