Rising since 2012, #9,457 for girls today.
Popularity of Hela since 1990
Babies named Hela per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 12 |
| 2010s | 32 |
| 2020s | 55 |
Meaning & origin
Hela is a rare name in the United States, first appearing on record in 1990. It ranks 9,457th as of 2025, with approximately 1 in 160,727 newborns receiving the name. The name experienced a peak in usage in 2018 and has been on a rising trajectory since 2012, indicating growing but still modest interest. Most likely inspired by Norse mythology, the name remains highly uncommon and has no strong associations with any particular region of the country. Its appeal may be linked to its mythological resonance and unique sound, though it has not yet entered mainstream popularity.
Hela appears to be a modern borrowing from Norse mythology, where Hel is the name of the goddess ruling the underworld. The spelling with an 'a' may reflect a feminine morphological adaptation or influence from other names. The name saw a notable increase in usage in the United States starting in the mid-2010s, possibly linked to popular culture portrayals in media.
“Hela” around the world
Where Hela lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Hel
Sibling names for Hela
Names that share Hela's style, for a brother or sister.
