How Many People Are Named Pele?
An estimated 100 people in the United States have the first name Pele. It is used for both genders, with 50.5% female. The average bearer is 26 years old, and Pele peaked in popularity in 1981 with 9 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Pele 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 Pele paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
100
About 1 in 3,427,543 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
50.5% confidence
Average Age
26
years old
Peak Year
1981
9 births
Total Registered
103
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Pele
Pele is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (49.5%) and females (50.5%). Out of 103 total births registered, 51 were male and 52 were female.
Pele as a male name
Ranked #13,577 in 2021
5 male births in 2021
Peak: 1981 (9 births)
Pele as a female name
Ranked #17,388 in 2019
5 female births in 2019
Peak: 2011 (8 births)
Pele in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 327 people with the first name Pele, which placed it at #27,808 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, Pele was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 327 people with this name in that snapshot, 53.5% were male and 46.5% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 50.5% of the time.
Census Count
327
people with this name
Census Rank
#27,808
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.11
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Pele was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (31.80%). The next largest recorded groups were White (26.30%) and Black (19.27%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Pele 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 Pele.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 31.80% | 104 |
| White | 26.30% | 86 |
| Black | 19.27% | 63 |
| Hispanic | 11.62% | 38 |
| Two or More Races | 10.09% | 33 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.92% | 3 |
Pele: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Pele span from the 1970s to the 2020s, covering 6 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 38 babies were registered. Pele has declined significantly from its peak in the 2010s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Pele by Decade
How has Pele 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.
Pele by State
Pele + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Pele as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Pele
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
Pele: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pele?
We estimate approximately 100 people named Pele 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 3,427,543 Americans share this first name.
Is Pele a common name?
Pele is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 64.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 103 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Pele most popular?
Pele reached peak popularity in 1981, when 9 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Pele is approximately 26 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Pele in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 327 people with the first name Pele. That placed it at #27,808 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.11 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 Pele 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 Pele?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Pele was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 53.5% male and 46.5% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Pele?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Pele was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (31.80%). The next largest recorded groups were White (26.30%) and Black (19.27%). 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 Pele a female name?
Pele is predominantly female. 50.5% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Pele 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. Pele peaked in 1981, and the average living bearer is about 26 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Pele Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Pele Smith, Pele Johnson, Pele 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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