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Home › Baby Names Directory › Maela

Maela

♀ Girl

Pronounced MA-ehl /ˈma.ɛl/Medium

Meaning: Prince, chieftain, lord (feminine form).Medium

In 30 seconds: Maela is a Breton girl's name, the feminine form of names meaning 'prince, chieftain, lord.'
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Origin MediumBreton
MeaningPrince, chieftain, lord (feminine form).
U.S. rank (2025)#3054 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births54 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2024
Total births (all-time)≈ 445

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202420022025

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

Maela comes from Breton naming, where it serves as a feminine counterpart to names built on the sense of 'prince' or 'chieftain.' It belongs to a cluster of related Breton spellings that share the same princely root.

The name has a soft, open sound, and it sits at the head of a family of variants that play with accents and endings, from Maëlle and Maëly to the more elaborate Maëlys.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Maela is 'prince, chieftain, lord', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Maela — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

MaëlieMaëlleMaëlyMaëlyaMaëlys

Nicknames

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If you like Maela…

Aela— shares the -la ending
Maelyn— lands in the same popularity range
Anaelle— shares Maela's Breton roots
Dior— a similarly popular pick
Mayla— echoes that soft -la sound

Explore names like Maela

By themebreton
By meaningRoyal / NobleLeader

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Maela mean?

Maela is usually explained as meaning 'prince, chieftain, lord' and is most often linked with Breton tradition.

How do you pronounce Maela?

It's commonly said MA-ehl /ˈma.ɛl/.

Is Maela a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Maela is used as a girl name.

How popular is Maela?

In 2024, Maela ranked #2542 in the U.S. for girls, with 70 births recorded.

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