Isla
Say it: EYE-luh
GirlMeans named after the Scottish island of Islay4 letters2 syllables
#13
in Ireland (2025)
203
babies in 2025
#11
best rank (2023)
2,255
babies since 1979
Up 60
10-year rank change
Isla through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 203 | #13 |
| 2024 | 193 | #13 |
| 2023 | 227 | #11 |
| 2022 | 228 | #17 |
| 2021 | 226 | #17 |
| 2020 | 174 | #26 |
| 2019 | 170 | #34 |
| 2018 | 147 | #38 |
| 2017 | 143 | #40 |
| 2016 | 113 | #53 |
| 2015 | 94 | #73 |
| 2014 | 81 | #84 |
| 2013 | 65 | #101 |
| 2012 | 47 | #129 |
| 2011 | 31 | #189 |
| 2010 | 28 | #205 |
| 2009 | 25 | #219 |
| 2008 | 24 | #230 |
| 2007 | 10 | #406 |
| 2006 | 9 | #396 |
| 2005 | 4 | #588 |
| 2002 | 4 | #512 |
| 1980 | 5 | #432 |
| 1979 | 4 | #467 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Isla mean?
Named after the Scottish island of Islay
Scottish, from an old spelling of Islay, an island in the Hebrides.
Say it right
EYEluh
The s is silent, as in "island".
Not:IZ-luhISS-luh
The story of Isla
Isla is a Scottish name taken from Islay, an island in the Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland, using an older spelling of the island’s name. It came into use as a first name in the twentieth century. Two Scottish rivers are also called Isla. Where the island’s name itself comes from is not known.
Isla first appears in the CSO records in 1979, but it only really arrived after 2008. It climbed almost every year after that, reaching number 11 in 2023. Its biggest year was 2022, with 228 girls.
It is even more popular in Northern Ireland, where it was the top girls’ name in 2023.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Isla (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Isla (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Isla | 203 | 2,255 |
In Northern Ireland
#4 in 2025 with 97 babies. Best rank #1 (2023); 1,899 babies since 2004.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.