Tula
Feminine
Tula is a name several unconnected places and languages have arrived at — a Russian city, a Mexican archaeological site, a Sanskrit word for a balance, and a Greek household form of Gertrude.
How old is the name Tula?
Tula first appears in US birth records in 1882 — 143 years ago. The typical Tula alive today was born around 1940, making them about 85 years old. About 900 people named Tula are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Tula most popular?
Tula peaked in 1899, reaching #728 nationally. Today it ranks #3712, 2,984 places below that high. See the whole 1899 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Tula
Ours, offered as ours. Tula is a set of coincidences rather than a name with a history — four syllableless-simple words in four languages that happen to match. The Sanskrit one is the most interesting: tula is the beam of a balance, and it names Libra in the Indian zodiac for exactly the reason it does in the western one. The American Tula, in the records since the nineteenth century, probably came from none of them and simply sounded right.
Meaningnot established
Not established
There is no single source. Sanskrit tula is a balance or scales and names the zodiac sign Libra. Tula in Mexico is a Nahuatl place name, and Tula in Russia is a city whose name is unexplained. Greek Toula is a household form of Gertrude and other names. All are separate.
Pronouncing Tula
TOO-lah
Two syllables, first stressed. There is little variation.
Nicknames for Tula
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1882
- Most girls named
- 201943 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #728reached in 1899
- Change vs 2023
- +17.6%40 in 2025, from 34
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Tula in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Tula in Sanskrit — related form
- Toula in Greek — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Massachusetts, Florida.
Tulas among us
people named Tula are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 40,182 born in 2025 was named Tula
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Tula sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Tula is headed
Tula should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Tula beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Tula in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Four letters and two syllables, about as easy to write as a name gets.
- Open vowels make it easy to say in most languages.
- Genuine nineteenth-century American use under its own name.
- There is no single meaning, so the honest answer names several traditions.
- It is close to Tulip, Lula and Talia in an American ear.
- A Greek-American film made Toula familiar, which is a strong association for some.
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What they receive
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Tula
Feminine · #3712 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Tulas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 900 people named Tula are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Tula in 2025?
- Tula ranks #3712 among US girl names in 2025, with 40 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Tula?
- About 1 in every 40,182 US girls born in 2025 was named Tula — 40 in all.
- Will my child share the name Tula with classmates?
- Tula will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Tula
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Monet#3712 · Barrett#3712 · October#3712 · Aubrianna#3712 · Mishka#3712 · Berkleigh#3712 · Zailey#3712 · Ora#3712
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Tula? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Tula and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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