Clela

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Clela

Pronounced KLEE-lah /ˈkliː.lə/Medium

Meaning: Clela is best explained as a clipped form of Cornelia, the feminine of the old Roman clan name Cornelius (itself likely tied to cornu, 'horn'), fitting an early twentieth-century Southern habit of trimming a formal Latin name down to a short, homespun one; the exact path is uncertain.Low

In 30 seconds: Clela is a rare, early American girl's name, likely a short form of Cornelia. It peaked around 1918 at about 18 girls a year (said KLEE-lah).

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Origin LowLatin, English

MeaningClela is best explained as a clipped form of Cornelia, the feminine of the old Roman clan name Cornelius (itself likely tied to cornu, 'horn'), fitting an early twentieth-century Southern habit of trimming a formal Latin name down to a short, homespun one; the exact path is uncertain.

U.S. rank (1962)#6731 ↘ Falling

1962 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1918

Total births (all-time)≈ 287

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

Clela most plausibly began as a short form of Cornelia, the Roman family name that also gives us Nelly and Nell. Its trail is thin and the exact derivation uncertain, which we note honestly; it belongs to the early twentieth-century South's habit of using clipped forms as full birth names.

The name never spread beyond a handful of families, given to about 18 girls in its peak year of 1918, and it appears in the SSA data only from 1893 to 1962. A girl named Clela at her peak would be well over a century old today, placing the name firmly in the great-great-grandmother generation.

Did you know? Clela belongs to a group of clipped Southern names that turned long formal names like Cornelia into a short, one-breath nickname worn as the legal name itself.

Overall data confidence 35%

References - Clela — Likely short form of Cornelia; route uncertain

Variations

CorneliaClelaCleola

Nicknames

LelaNell

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Clela…

Cornelia— the likely parent name

Leola— a like short antique -ola/-ela name

Cleo— shares the Cle- opening sound

Zella— a like clipped early-1900s Southern name

Explore names like Clela

By themevintage latin short uncommon southern antique

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Clela mean?

It is most likely a short form of Cornelia, an old Roman family name; the exact route is uncertain.

How do you pronounce Clela?

It is said KLEE-lah /ˈkliː.lə/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Clela a boy or girl name?

Clela is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Clela?

It was always rare, given to about 18 girls a year at its 1918 peak, and it disappeared from records by the early 1960s.