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Home › Baby Names Directory › Akela

Akela

♀ Girl

Pronounced uh-KAY-luh /əˈkeɪ.lə/Medium

Meaning: Two honest routes. In Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, Akela is the wolf who leads the pack — a male character whose name comes from the Hindi and Urdu akela, 'alone, solitary'; Cub Scouts still use Akela as a leader's title. Separately, Akela is a Hawaiian rendering of Adela or Ethel.Low

In 30 seconds: A name with two stories: Akela is Kipling's wolf-pack leader and a Hawaiian form of Adela (said 'uh-KAY-luh'). The Kipling character is male.
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Origin LowHawaiian, Hindi
MeaningTwo honest routes. In Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, Akela is the wolf who leads the pack — a male character whose name comes from the Hindi and Urdu akela, 'alone, solitary'; Cub Scouts still use Akela as a leader's title. Separately, Akela is a Hawaiian rendering of Adela or Ethel.
U.S. rank (2023)#13518 ↘ Falling
2023 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1996
Total births (all-time)≈ 613

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199619752023

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Akela carries two real histories. In Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, Akela is the lone wolf who leads the Seeonee pack and speaks for Mowgli; his name is the Hindi and Urdu akela, 'alone, solitary'. Cub Scout packs around the world still call their leader Akela. That character is male, which we note plainly. Separately, Hawaiian naming gives Akela as its rendering of Adela and Ethel — a genuinely feminine route (said 'uh-KAY-luh').

It appears only extremely rarely for girls in the U.S. Rare, storied, and multi-rooted.

Did you know? Akela leads the wolf pack in Kipling's Jungle Book — and that character is male, a point worth knowing. The name comes from the Hindi akela, 'alone'. In Hawaii, Akela is instead a form of Adela or Ethel (said 'uh-KAY-luh').
Overall data confidence 40%
References — Akela — Kipling's Jungle Book wolf (male); Hindi akela 'alone'; Hawaiian form of Adela

Variations

AkeilaAkaylaAdela

Nicknames

KelaAke

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Akela…

Adela— the name Akela renders in Hawaiian
Kaela— a near sound cousin
Leilani— a like Hawaiian girl's name
Makena— a like flowing three-beat pick

Explore names like Akela

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Akela mean?

Akela is the wolf-pack leader in Kipling's Jungle Book, from the Hindi akela, 'alone'; in Hawaiian it is instead a form of Adela or Ethel.

How do you pronounce Akela?

It's said uh-KAY-luh /əˈkeɪ.lə/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Akela a boy or girl name?

Akela is used here as a girl's name; note that Kipling's Akela is a male wolf, and the title is used for Cub Scout leaders of any sex.

How popular is Akela?

Akela is an extremely rare name for girls in the U.S.

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