Given name & surname · also African
Sela
“as strong as a rock”·“a savior”·“man from the cliff”
Sela is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “as strong as a rock”, “a savior”, and “man from the cliff”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “as strong as a rock”, “a savior”, and “man from the cliff”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Hebrew and African naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1950. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sela through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,328
- 0 boys · 1,328 girls
- Most popular year
- 2000
- 81 babies
- 2025
- 29
- #4,738 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −4%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 29 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,738 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 3.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 81 in 2000. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,456 as a first name in 2020; 590 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Sela’s family of names
Sela has a related form in Selah. Sela has a related form in Seleta. Sela has a related form in Selata.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Sela
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Sela, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elah
“terebinth”
>99% girls
Sagal
Sagal is a surname from Hebrew.
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Sigal
“an aromatic plant not definitively identified”
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Shemaiah
“Yah has heard” · “heard of Yah”
4% boys · 96% girls
Mikaela
“who is like God?”
>99% girls
Michaela
“who is like God?” · “brook”
>99% girls
Delaiah
“door of Yah” · “Yah has delivered”
>99% girls
Mikayla
“who is like God?”
>99% girls