Fun Facts About the Name Walela
- 33 babies named Walela: U.S. records list 33 babies given the name Walela from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Walela Mean?
Walela is a Cherokee word meaning "hummingbird." It comes from the Cherokee language, where it is written in the Cherokee syllabary as ᏩᎴᎳ (wa-le-la). The name is not a European compound or a translated virtue name; its literal sense is the bird itself.
Walela Name History & Origins
Walela belongs to Cherokee, an Iroquoian language traditionally spoken in the southeastern United States. In the Cherokee syllabary devised by Sequoyah in the 1820s, the word is spelled ᏩᎴᎳ, using the signs for wa, le, and la. Its use as a personal name rests on the Cherokee noun rather than on a biblical, saint's, or European root.
A notable modern use of the name is the Native American women's trio Walela, formed in the 1990s by Rita Coolidge, Priscilla Coolidge, and Laura Satterfield. The group took its name from the Cherokee word for hummingbird; this is a later cultural association, not the origin of the word.
How Popular is the Name Walela?
Walela 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 2021. Its best rank was #11,089 in 2021.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #15,097 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #17,449 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #15,174 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #11,089 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #14,894 | 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.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with W
How the Name Walela Shapes Your Personality and Life?
To express itself, you must follow the divine law of love. You have great persistence and hate to give up. You are a good mixer, charming, magnetic and intuitive. The spirituality is the key to success. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Walela's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Walela's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.