Xela
Xela is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin meaning "redemption".
Name Census estimates that about 340 living Americans carry the first name Xela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Xela today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Xela births was 2022 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Xela. 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
340
~ 1 in 1,008,101 Americans
Peak year
2022
42 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,412
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Xela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Xela from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 142 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
Xela 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 Xela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Xelas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Xela
The given name Xela has its origins in the Nahuatl language, spoken by the Aztec people of ancient Mexico. The name is believed to have derived from the word "xelhua," which means "to divide" or "to separate." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have been associated with concepts of division, duality, or division of land or resources.
In ancient Aztec culture, names often held deep symbolic significance, reflecting cultural values, beliefs, or celestial events. While there is limited historical documentation on the specific origins and early usage of the name Xela, its Nahuatl roots trace back to the time of the Aztec Empire, which flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries in what is now central Mexico.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Xela are found in colonial-era documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, where it appears as a personal name among indigenous populations in Mexico. One notable figure from this time was Xela Cuauhtémoc, a prominent Nahua leader who led resistance efforts against Spanish colonial rule in the late 16th century.
As the Spanish colonization of the Americas progressed, the name Xela likely spread to other regions, potentially carried by indigenous populations or adopted by Spanish settlers. In the 18th century, historical records show a Xela Hernández, a landowner and rancher in the region of present-day Texas.
Fast forward to the 20th century, and the name Xela gained greater visibility through its association with notable individuals. One such figure was Xela Avelar (1920-2012), a Salvadoran writer and activist known for her contributions to feminist literature and social movements in Central America.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Xela Trían (1935-2011), a Mexican artist renowned for her vibrant paintings and murals that celebrated indigenous Mexican culture and traditions. Her works are displayed in numerous museums and public spaces throughout Mexico.
It is worth noting that while the name Xela has ancient roots in Mesoamerican cultures, its usage has been relatively uncommon in modern times, likely due to the influence of Spanish colonization and the subsequent adoption of European naming conventions. However, its unique linguistic heritage and cultural connections have ensured that it remains a distinctive and meaningful name within certain communities and regions.
People
Xela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Xela as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with X
Other first names starting with X with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Xela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Xela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 340 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Xela 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 1,008,101 US residents.
Is Xela a common name?
We classify Xela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 343 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Xela most popular?
The single biggest year for Xela was 2022, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Xela is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Xela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Xela 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.