UK girl's name
Keela
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of the Irish name Caoilfhionn meaning "slender and fair".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Keela is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Keela popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 11 births.
This profile covers 103 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2002 to 2024. 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 27% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 133 living people in the UK are called Keela. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Keela ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 11 girls were registered as Keela.
- • Keela ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #361 in 2018.
- • About 133 living people in the UK are estimated to have Keela as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5891
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2010
11 births
Estimated living
133
2026
Meaning
What does Keela mean?
The name Keela is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "kila," which means "play" or "sport." It is thought to have originated around the 5th century BCE during the Vedic period in ancient India.
In ancient Hindu texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, the name Keela is mentioned as a name given to children who were born with a playful and joyful nature. It was believed that these children were blessed with the qualities of innocence, curiosity, and a love for life.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Keela can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem that dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In the Mahabharata, there is a character named Keela, who is described as a skilled archer and a devoted friend of the Pandava princes.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Keela. One of the earliest was Keela Devi, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 10th century CE in the Chola Empire of South India. She is known for her contributions to the field of Sanskrit literature and for her works on philosophy and spirituality.
Another famous Keela was Keela Narayan, a prominent Indian mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 14th century CE. He is credited with making significant contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly in the areas of algebra and trigonometry.
In the 16th century, there was a Keela Singh, a brave warrior and military leader from the Rajput clan of Rajasthan, India. He is known for his heroic battles against the Mughal Empire and for his unwavering loyalty to his people.
During the 19th century, Keela Bai was a renowned Indian classical dancer and courtesan from the state of Uttar Pradesh. She was celebrated for her mastery of the Kathak dance form and for her contributions to the preservation of Indian cultural traditions.
In more recent times, Keela Shastri was an Indian politician and social activist who lived from 1908 to 1992. She was a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement and worked tirelessly for the upliftment of women and the underprivileged communities in India.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Keela over time
The chart below shows babies named Keela registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Keela, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keela by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Keela 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5692 | 6 | 2 |
| 2010s | #3914 | 47 | 8 |
| 2000s | #3045 | 50 | 8 |
Geography
Where Keela is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Keela. 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.
Keela ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #361 in 2018.
Across the UK
Keela in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#558 in 1998
1 years of NRS records, 4 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#361 in 2018
6 years of NISRA records, 27 total registered
Related
Names similar to Keela
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Keela: questions and answers
How popular is the name Keela in the UK right now?
In 2024, Keela was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Keela most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 11 babies registered as Keela in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Keela?
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of the Irish name Caoilfhionn meaning "slender and fair".
How many people are called Keela in the UK?
A total of 103 babies have been registered as Keela across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4 more in Scotland and 27 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Keela most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Keela ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #361 in 2018. 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.