Meaning and background
The story behind Fela
Fela has a musical namesake in Fela Kuti. His official legacy chronology gives his fuller birth name as Olufela Olusegun Oludoton Ransome-Kuti and follows his move from Abeokuta to musical study in London. It also documents Koola Lobitos, collaboration with drummer Tony Allen and the later Afrobeat recording Gentleman. For a dog owner, Fela can commemorate a particular musical tradition or record. The biographical connection is supported here, while a literal translation of the name would require separate linguistic evidence.
- Association
- Musical namesake Fela Kuti, whose official chronology connects Fela with his fuller name Olufela and documents his Afrobeat career. Source
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About Fela
Recorded as a dog’s name
Fela appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2016 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/fɛlə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/fɛlə/ · primary stress on syllable 1F EH1 L AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.