NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Seela

An Indian feminine name of Sanskrit origins meaning "rock" or "stone".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Seela is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Seela popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4645, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 4 births.

This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2018 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.

Seela is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Seela. 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 2023 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Seela ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2022, when 4 girls were registered as Seela.
  • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Seela as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4645

2022

Births in 2022

4

Latest year

Peak year

2022

4 births

Estimated living

7

2026

Meaning

What does Seela mean?

The name Seela has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The name is believed to have emerged around the 5th century BCE during the Vedic period in ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "shila," which means "rock" or "stone," suggesting a sense of strength, stability, and endurance.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Seela can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem composed between the 8th and 9th centuries BCE. In the epic, Seela is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a female attendant in the court of the Pandava princes.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Seela. In the 7th century CE, Seela was the name of a celebrated Buddhist scholar and philosopher who contributed significantly to the development of Buddhist thought in India. Her writings and teachings were highly regarded and influenced the spread of Buddhism across Asia.

Another notable figure named Seela was a 12th-century Indian poet and playwright from the Kannada literary tradition. Her works, which included poetry collections and plays, were widely acclaimed for their depth, elegance, and artistic merit. She is considered one of the most influential literary figures of medieval India.

In the 16th century, Seela was the name of a prominent female warrior and military leader in the Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled much of southern India at the time. She was renowned for her bravery and strategic skills on the battlefield, and her exploits were celebrated in various historical accounts and folk tales.

Moving to more recent times, Seela was the name of a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer who lived from 1920 to 2008. She was widely recognized for her contributions to the revival and promotion of traditional Indian dance forms, particularly Bharatanatyam and Kathakali. Her performances and teachings inspired generations of dancers and helped preserve the rich cultural heritage of Indian dance.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Seela throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Seela over time

The chart below shows babies named Seela registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2018 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Seela, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Seela
01234201820202022

Decades

Seela by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Seela 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 #4645 4 1
2010s #5666 3 1

Related

Names similar to Seela

FAQ

Seela: questions and answers

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

In 2022, Seela was ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Seela most popular?

The peak year on record was 2022, with 4 babies registered as Seela in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Seela?

An Indian feminine name of Sanskrit origins meaning "rock" or "stone".

How many people are called Seela in the UK?

A total of 7 babies have been registered as Seela across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.