NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Kaelah

A feminine name derived from Hebrew meaning "crown of laurels".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2012. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kaelah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kaelah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2012 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5876, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 4 births.

This profile covers 16 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2002 to 2012. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 23 living people in the UK are called Kaelah. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2013 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kaelah ranked #5876 for girls in England and Wales in 2012, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2002, when 4 girls were registered as Kaelah.
  • Kaelah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #384 in 2006.
  • About 23 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kaelah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5876

2012

Births in 2012

3

Latest year

Peak year

2002

4 births

Estimated living

23

2026

Meaning

What does Kaelah mean?

Kaelah is a feminine given name with origins that can be traced back to the ancient Semitic languages. It is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word "kalla," which means "bride" or "daughter-in-law." The name likely originated in the Middle East region, where Hebrew and other Semitic languages were spoken.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Kaelah can be found in ancient Hebrew texts and scriptures. Some scholars have suggested that it may have been used as a name for women in biblical times, although specific references are scarce.

One of the earliest known individuals with the name Kaelah was a Jewish scholar and poet who lived in Spain during the 12th century. Her full name was Kaelah bat Yehudah, and she was renowned for her contributions to Sephardic Jewish literature.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Kaelah al-Andalusiyya was a renowned Arabic philosopher and mathematician from Andalusia, in what is now modern-day Spain. She is credited with making significant contributions to the fields of geometry and algebra.

During the Renaissance period, a woman named Kaelah Benavidez was a prominent artist and calligrapher in Italy. She was born in 1492 and gained recognition for her intricate illuminated manuscripts and religious paintings.

In the 19th century, Kaelah Winthrop was an American author and activist who played a significant role in the abolitionist movement. She was born in 1815 and wrote several influential works advocating for the abolition of slavery.

Another notable figure with the name Kaelah was a Persian poet and mystic who lived in the 13th century. Known as Kaelah Balkhi, she was renowned for her spiritual poetry and her contributions to Sufi literature.

While the name Kaelah has ancient roots and has been used throughout history, it has remained relatively uncommon in many parts of the world. However, its unique sound and rich cultural heritage have contributed to its enduring appeal as a given name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kaelah over time

The chart below shows babies named Kaelah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2012. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kaelah, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2012, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kaelah
01234200220072012

Decades

Kaelah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kaelah was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2010s #5831 6 2
2000s #4521 10 3

Geography

Where Kaelah is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kaelah. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Kaelah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #384 in 2006.

Scotland
4
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Kaelah in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#633 in 2007

1 years of NRS records, 4 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#384 in 2006

1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Kaelah

FAQ

Kaelah: questions and answers

How popular is the name Kaelah in the UK right now?

In 2012, Kaelah was ranked #5876 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Kaelah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2002, with 4 babies registered as Kaelah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kaelah?

A feminine name derived from Hebrew meaning "crown of laurels".

How many people are called Kaelah in the UK?

A total of 16 babies have been registered as Kaelah across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Kaelah most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Kaelah ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #384 in 2006. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.