Vaela
A feminine name derived from Scandinavian origin, meaning "she who rules".
Name Census estimates that about 48 living Americans carry the first name Vaela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Vaela today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vaela births was 2024 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vaela. 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 Vaela. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
48
~ 1 in 7,140,715 Americans
Peak year
2024
14 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,895
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Vaela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vaela from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 43 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
Vaela 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 Vaela 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 Vaela
The name Vaela is of ancient Greek origin, traced back to the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Greek word "vaelos," meaning "beautiful" or "radiant." The name was popular among the Greeks, who valued physical beauty and grace.
In ancient Greek mythology, Vaela was the name of a nymph associated with the goddess Artemis, known for her beauty and skill in archery. The name also appears in several ancient Greek texts, including the works of the poet Sappho, who praised the beauty of a woman named Vaela.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vaela dates back to the 4th century BCE, when a Greek woman named Vaela was mentioned in an inscription found in the city of Delphi. This inscription honored her for her contributions to the city's cultural and religious life.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Vaela. In the 1st century CE, Vaela Paulina was a Roman noblewoman known for her wealth and influence. She was the wife of the Roman emperor Gaius Caligula and was rumored to have been involved in his assassination.
In the 12th century, Vaela of Arles was a French noblewoman and crusader who accompanied her husband, Raymond of Toulouse, on the Fourth Crusade. She is remembered for her bravery and leadership during the siege of Constantinople.
During the Renaissance, Vaela Colonna was an Italian poet and writer who lived from 1490 to 1547. She was a member of the influential Colonna family and was known for her sonnets and religious poetry.
In the 19th century, Vaela Vidal was a Spanish writer and activist who lived from 1821 to 1889. She was a pioneering figure in the women's rights movement in Spain and fought for educational reforms and greater opportunities for women.
Another notable Vaela was Vaela Fergusson, a Scottish artist and sculptor who lived from 1887 to 1965. She was known for her modernist sculptures and was a prominent figure in the Scottish art scene of the early 20th century.
People
Vaela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vaela as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vaela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vaela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 48 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vaela 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 7,140,715 US residents.
Is Vaela a common name?
We classify Vaela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 48 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vaela most popular?
The single biggest year for Vaela was 2024, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vaela 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 Vaela in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vaela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vaela 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 Vaela still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vaela 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 Vaela 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 have Vaela as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Vaela on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.