Kayla
Say it: KAY-la/ˈkeɪ.lə/
GirlMeans no set meaning, a modern coinage5 letters2 syllables
#130
in Ireland (2025)
36
babies in 2025
#21
best rank (2011)
2,609
babies since 1991
Down 62
10-year rank change
Kayla through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36 | #130 |
| 2024 | 44 | #109 |
| 2023 | 43 | #110 |
| 2022 | 49 | #105 |
| 2021 | 54 | #105 |
| 2020 | 52 | #104 |
| 2019 | 64 | #89 |
| 2018 | 79 | #79 |
| 2017 | 93 | #70 |
| 2016 | 92 | #70 |
| 2015 | 98 | #68 |
| 2014 | 138 | #46 |
| 2013 | 148 | #45 |
| 2012 | 198 | #33 |
| 2011 | 306 | #21 |
| 2010 | 186 | #41 |
| 2009 | 183 | #43 |
| 2008 | 161 | #48 |
| 2007 | 136 | #53 |
| 2006 | 112 | #59 |
| 2005 | 86 | #67 |
| 2004 | 64 | #88 |
| 2003 | 50 | #103 |
| 2002 | 44 | #112 |
| 2001 | 22 | #180 |
| 2000 | 20 | #179 |
| 1999 | 14 | #227 |
| 1998 | 9 | #270 |
| 1997 | 7 | #363 |
| 1996 | 10 | #295 |
| 1993 | 4 | #448 |
| 1992 | 4 | #455 |
| 1991 | 3 | #515 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Kayla mean?
No set meaning, a modern coinage
Modern English, probably built on Kay with the ending -la.
Say it right
KAYla
The story of Kayla
Kayla is a recent invention rather than an old name with a fixed meaning. It seems to have been formed from Kay with the ending -la, perhaps with Michaela or Layla in mind, and it sits alongside the similar Kaylee and Kayleigh.
The name took off in the United States in the 1980s, helped by the character Kayla Brady in the soap opera Days of Our Lives. From there it spread across the English-speaking world.
In Ireland Kayla first reached three or more babies in a year in 1991. It rose quickly through the 2000s and had a standout year in 2011, when 306 girls were named Kayla and it reached number 21. It has fallen back steadily since, to number 130 in 2025. Northern Ireland followed the same pattern, and the name had its best place there in 2011 too, at number 40.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Kayla (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Kayla (name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Kayla | 36 | 2,609 |
In Northern Ireland
#231 in 2025 with 7 babies. Best rank #40 (2011); 586 babies since 1998.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.