Fun Facts About the Name Keala
- 881 babies named Keala: U.S. records list 881 babies given the name Keala from 1880 through 2025. Even 28 boys received the name Keala - about 1 boy for every 30 girls.
What Does the Name Keala Mean?
Keala is a Hawaiian name meaning "the path" or "the way." It is formed from two Hawaiian elements: the definite article ke ("the," used before words beginning with certain letters) and ala ("path," "road," or "way"). Hawaiian personal names are commonly built this way, by joining ordinary words into a short phrase, so the meaning is a literal translation of the parts rather than a later symbolic reading.
Two homophones are sometimes confused with the ala in this name. The verb ala means "to rise" or "to awaken," and the separate word ʻala (with the ʻokina, a glottal stop) means "fragrant" or "fragrance." These are distinct words, and neither is the source of Keala's usual meaning.
Keala Name History & Origins
Keala belongs to the Hawaiian tradition of phrase-names, in which a child's name is composed from meaningful words rather than borrowed from a fixed stock of inherited names. Before contact with Europeans, Hawaiians used single names, often drawn from nature, places, or events, and a person could acquire additional names later in life. Names such as Keala fit this pattern directly: a common noun phrase, "the path," used as a personal name.
Hawaiian naming was disrupted in the late 19th century. After the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 and the establishment of English-only instruction in Hawaii's public schools in 1896, the Hawaiian language was pushed out of schools and government, and many families gave their children English names. Hawaiian-language names like Keala persisted but became less common in official records.
The Hawaiian Renaissance, a cultural movement that gained force in the 1970s, brought renewed interest in the Hawaiian language, hula, and traditional naming. Keala has since been used again more widely in Hawaii and has spread to the mainland United States. It is given to both men and women.
How Popular is the Name Keala?
Keala has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2005. Its best rank was #3,146 in 2005.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,161 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #6,495 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2023 | #9,300 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #7,835 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #10,689 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #10,690 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #9,415 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #6,945 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2017 | #10,343 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #9,747 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #13,733 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #7,149 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2013 | #10,626 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #7,014 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #6,724 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #5,174 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2009 | #8,248 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #5,211 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2007 | #4,614 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2006 | #4,114 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2005 | #3,146 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 2004 | #4,224 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2003 | #5,507 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2002 | #4,996 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2001 | #4,913 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2000 | #4,887 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1999 | #5,778 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1998 | #5,695 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1997 | #6,023 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1996 | #5,406 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #4,762 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1994 | #6,492 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #8,353 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #6,472 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1991 | #9,759 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #5,396 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #6,339 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1988 | #6,464 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #6,114 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1986 | #5,945 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #6,236 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #6,513 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #7,620 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #8,660 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #5,405 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1980 | #5,372 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1979 | #5,568 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1978 | #7,275 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #6,078 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1976 | #6,909 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #9,737 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #7,224 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1973 | #9,009 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #8,854 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #6,931 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #6,653 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #6,248 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,360 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #13,604 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2004 | #12,323 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #8,825 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1981 | #5,220 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Keala Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Keala's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Keala's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.