How Many People Are Named Chela?
An estimated 448 people in the United States have the first name Chela. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 37 years old, and Chela peaked in popularity in 1985 with 79 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Chela as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Chela paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
448
About 1 in 765,077 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
100.0% confidence
Average Age
37
years old
Peak Year
1985
79 births
Total Registered
474
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Chela
Chela is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 474 total births registered, 100.0% were female.
Chela as a female name
Ranked #15,235 in 2011
6 female births in 2011
Peak: 1985 (79 births)
Chela in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 671 people with the first name Chela, which placed it at #16,702 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Chela was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 671 people with this name in that snapshot, 0.1% were male and 99.9% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 100.0% of the time.
Census Count
671
people with this name
Census Rank
#16,702
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.22
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Chela was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (42.14%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (29.82%) and White (21.51%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Chela in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Chela.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 42.14% | 284 |
| Black | 29.82% | 201 |
| White | 21.51% | 145 |
| Two or More Races | 3.26% | 22 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 3.12% | 21 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.15% | 1 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Chela: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Chela span from the 1950s to the 2010s, covering 7 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1980s, when 185 babies were registered. Chela has declined significantly from its peak in the 1980s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Chela by Decade
How has Chela tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Chela by State
Birth registrations for Chela span all 5 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Virginia, California, District of Columbia. The lowest are in North Carolina, South Carolina, District of Columbia. On average, about 13 Chelas were registered per state.
Chela + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Chela as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Chela
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
Chela: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chela?
We estimate approximately 448 people named Chela are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 765,077 Americans share this first name.
Is Chela a common name?
Chela is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 83.5% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 474 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Chela most popular?
Chela reached peak popularity in 1985, when 79 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Chela is approximately 37 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Chela in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 671 people with the first name Chela. That placed it at #16,702 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.22 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Chela was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Chela?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Chela was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 0.1% male and 99.9% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Chela?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Chela was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (42.14%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (29.82%) and White (21.51%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Chela a female name?
Chela is predominantly female. 100.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Chela have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Chela peaked in 1985, and the average living bearer is about 37 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Chela Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Chela Smith, Chela Johnson, Chela Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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