Chela

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Chela

Pronounced CHAY-lah /ˈtʃeɪ.lɑ/Medium

Meaning: Chela is chiefly a Spanish affectionate nickname for names like Graciela ('grace'), Consuelo ('consolation'), or Marcela, and in Latin American use can also be a fond word for a fair-haired or fair-skinned person. As a stand-alone U.S. name it may also read as a short coinage; the route is dual, which we note.Low

In 30 seconds: Chela is a Spanish pet name for Graciela or Consuelo, given here as a full name (said 'CHAY-lah'). Its route is dual — nickname or coinage.

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Origin LowSpanish

MeaningChela is chiefly a Spanish affectionate nickname for names like Graciela ('grace'), Consuelo ('consolation'), or Marcela, and in Latin American use can also be a fond word for a fair-haired or fair-skinned person. As a stand-alone U.S. name it may also read as a short coinage; the route is dual, which we note.

U.S. rank (2011)#15235 ↗ Rising

2011 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1985

Total births (all-time)≈ 474

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Chela is best known as a Spanish diminutive standing in for Graciela, Consuelo, or Marcela, each with its own meaning — 'grace,' 'consolation,' 'of Mars.' Given on its own in the United States, it may also function as a short modern coinage, so its origin runs along two plausible routes.

It appeared mainly from the nineteen-fifties, peaked around 1985, and continued at low levels into the twenty-tens. A Chela is likely middle-aged today; the name reads as a Hispanic pet-name-turned-given-name, its exact parent varying by family.

Did you know? Chela crested around 1985; in Spanish it is a warm nickname for several longer names — Graciela, Consuelo, Marcela — rather than a name with a single fixed root.

Overall data confidence 48%

References — Chela — Spanish nickname for Graciela/Consuelo/Marcela; dual route; 1980s peak

Variations

GracielaConsueloMarcela

Nicknames

CheLala

Famous Bearers

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If you like Chela…

Graciela— a parent name Chela nicknames

Consuelo— another parent name behind the pet form

Marcela— a third name Chela can shorten

Celia— a like short Spanish-flavored girl's name

Explore names like Chela

By themespanish nickname-name grace dual-route

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Chela mean?

Chela is a Spanish pet name for Graciela, Consuelo, or Marcela, inheriting their meanings; it may also be a short coinage, which we note.

How do you pronounce Chela?

It's said CHAY-lah /ˈtʃeɪ.lɑ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Chela a boy or girl name?

Chela is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Chela?

Chela was an uncommon name, most seen among Hispanic families, that peaked in the mid-nineteen-eighties and has been rare since.