Ela means oak tree or fairy — from the Hebrew (oak/terebinth tree) or the Turkish (fairy/hazel). Ela of Salisbury was a powerful medieval English countess who founded two abbeys. Three letters of Hebrew-oak, Turkish-fairy, and the medieval countess who built abbeys. The most compact form of tree-fairy duality.
The meaning oak tree/fairy bridges Hebrew and Turkish.
Three letters with a gentle, elegant sound: EH-lah.
The most compact form of tree-fairy duality.
El is the most direct embedded beginning.
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The vibe of Ela
oak treefairyHebrewTurkishSalisburymedievalabbeyscompactelegantgentle
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Origin & history of Ela
Hebrew (oak/terebinth) or Turkish (fairy)→Ela
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Germanic / Hebrew roots
Ela comes from Hebrew (oak tree) or Turkish (fairy). Ela of Salisbury was a powerful medieval English countess who founded two abbeys.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Hebrew/Turkish; Ela of Salisbury (1187–1261).
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Today
Ela remains a beloved choice, ranking #1779 in the US. 2,711 babies have been named Ela since 1887.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Ela?
2018peak year
Ela first appeared in U.S. records in 1887. The name climbed in popularity through the 2010s, reaching its peak of #1,464 nationally in 2018 with 150 babies that year. Ela's usage has held roughly steady recently. Today, Ela is a less common but recognizable name in U.S. records (ranked #1,779) with about 116 babies named Ela each year. In all, around 2,711 babies have been registered as Ela since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Ela's Life Path 6 is the nurturer's number — oak-fairy nurturing. People named Ela tend to be gentle, compact, and gifted at founding abbeys in three letters.
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