Girl's name
Kayla
Say it KAY-luh
A modern coinage 2 syllables
Where Kayla is loved, common and rare
Common in Quebec. Rare in Ireland, France, three German cities and 13 more places.
1 in 587 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Quebec 83rdIreland 130thFrance 162nd
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 19 of the 40 official lists, among them Quebec (83rd), Ireland (130th) and France (162nd).
Show all 19 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec province | 83rd 2025 | 66 | about 1 in 394 |
| Ireland | 130th 2025 | 36 | 1 in 587 |
| France | 162nd 2025 | 330 | 1 in 869 |
| Scotland | 226th 2025 | 16 | 1 in 1,118 |
| Northern Ireland | 231st 2025 | 7 | 1 in 1,041 |
| Switzerland | 257th 2025 | 27 | 1 in 1,259 |
| Ontario province | 265th 2024 | 47 | about 1 in 1,159 |
| Sweden | 283rd 2025 | 26 | about 1 in 1,545 |
| Berlin city | 339th 2023 | 9 | about 1 in 1,612 |
| British Columbia province | 348th 2023 | 9 | about 1 in 1,329 |
| Poland | 368th 2025 | 9 | 1 in 13,310 |
| Austria | 381st 2025 | 13 | 1 in 2,748 |
| England and Wales | 386th 2025 | 110 | 1 in 2,303 |
| Cologne city | 419th 2023 | 2 | about 1 in 3,072 |
| Catalonia region | 463rd 2025 | 6 | 1 in 3,212 |
| Israel קיילא | 526th 2024 | 23 | about 1 in 3,412 |
| The Netherlands | 541st 2025 | 23 | about 1 in 2,653 |
| Italy | 608th 2024 | 19 | 1 in 9,430 |
| Leipzig city | 212th 2025 | 2 | about 1 in 1,312 |
Rare, below the listed names: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, Munich, Bonn, Rostock, Norway, Spain, Hungary and Slovenia.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig). How we count, and every source
About the name
Kayla is a modern invention. It may have been built on Kay or on Michaela, and it may also have been shaped on the pattern of Layla. No meaning is attested for it, so its appeal lies in its sound rather than in a traditional story.
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It has two syllables, KAY-luh, with the stress on the first. Kay is the obvious short form, and Kaylee, Kayleigh, McKayla and Kaila are close relatives.
Kayla is a top-100 name in Quebec and is also used in Ireland, Scotland, France, Switzerland and Sweden. In Canada it reached its peak around 1990, so many people know a Kayla of that generation. Across its range it is now rising in as many places as it is falling, a sign that it has settled into steady, everyday use.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- KAY-luh, 2 syllables
- Origin
- Newly coined
- Other spellings
- Kaylee
- Kayleigh
- Kay
- McKayla
- Kaila
Etymology
A modern invention possibly based on Kay or Michaela; possibly formed on the pattern of Layla.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 7 of 17 regions, falling in 7.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 263 | 284 | 323 | 329 | 296 | 365 | 382 | 353 | 332 | 386 |
| Scotland | 81 | 115 | 89 | 140 | 170 | 114 | 186 | 210 | 171 | 226 |
| Northern Ireland | 97 | 143 | 126 | 119 | 149 | 237 | 243 | 209 | 253 | 231 |
| Ireland | 70 | 70 | 79 | 89 | 103 | 103 | 105 | 111 | 109 | 130 |
| Ontario | 132 | 134 | 118 | 153 | 143 | 217 | 209 | 284 | 265 | |
| British Columbia | 120 | 134 | 110 | 120 | 128 | 213 | 264 | 348 | ||
| South Australia | 130 | 395 | ||||||||
| Quebec | 83 | 90 | 92 | 84 | 97 | 104 | 85 | 81 | 99 | 83 |
| France | 320 | 283 | 257 | 246 | 225 | 225 | 181 | 138 | 146 | 162 |
| The Netherlands | 749 | 802 | 811 | 763 | 775 | 891 | 431 | 440 | 541 | |
| Austria | 1331 | 1907 | 1024 | 1310 | 529 | 448 | 859 | 407 | 429 | 381 |
| Switzerland | 539 | 238 | 257 | 218 | 333 | 267 | 198 | 265 | 198 | 257 |
| Berlin | 598 | 637 | 988 | 642 | 368 | 339 | ||||
| Sweden | 394 | 478 | 549 | 393 | 402 | 298 | 306 | 283 | ||
| Catalonia | 450 | 436 | 418 | 407 | 412 | 429 | 361 | 520 | 425 | 463 |
| Italy | 692 | 576 | 488 | 608 | ||||||
| Poland | 426 | 437 | 449 | 309 | 309 | 388 | 570 | 397 | 359 | 368 |
| Israel | 735 | 665 | 833 | 554 | 679 | 677 | 713 | 617 | 526 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 386 | 110 | 43.4 |
| 2024 | 332 | 130 | 50.4 |
| 2023 | 353 | 120 | 46.8 |
| 2022 | 382 | 111 | 42.1 |
| 2021 | 365 | 126 | 46.0 |
| 2020 | 296 | 158 | 58.9 |
| 2019 | 329 | 140 | 50.0 |
| 2018 | 323 | 147 | 51.0 |
| 2017 | 284 | 172 | 57.5 |
| 2016 | 263 | 193 | 62.8 |
| 2015 | 243 | 205 | 66.6 |
| 2014 | 189 | 280 | 91.3 |
| 2013 | 169 | 312 | 101.1 |
| 2012 | 135 | 427 | 132.6 |
| 2011 | 98 | 604 | 188.0 |
| 2010 | 119 | 476 | 148.3 |
| 2009 | 127 | 429 | 136.9 |
| 2008 | 141 | 378 | 119.7 |
| 2007 | 154 | 359 | 117.3 |
| 2006 | 139 | 400 | 133.7 |
| 2005 | 178 | 283 | 98.2 |
| 2004 | 216 | 209 | 73.1 |
| 2003 | 222 | 207 | 74.3 |
| 2002 | 259 | 152 | 56.9 |
| 2001 | 265 | 148 | 55.2 |
| 2000 | 300 | 123 | 45.0 |
| 1999 | 406 | 78 | 27.7 |
| 1998 | 476 | 61 | 21.1 |
| 1997 | 449 | 65 | 22.2 |
| 1996 | 526 | 48 | 16.2 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Kayla in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 1995. First recorded in 1978. Her peak year there: 1990, at 1,170.4 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Kayla per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 1990 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Kayla
1 in 2,347 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Kayla. Same first letter as Kayla.
1 in 1,214 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Kayla.
1 in 1,822 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Kayla.
1 in 486 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Kayla.
1 in 596 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Kayla.
1 in 895 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Kayla.
1 in 225 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Kayla. Same first letter as Kayla.
1 in 587 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Kayla.
1 in 1,214 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Kayla.
1 in 640 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Kayla.
Middle names for Kayla
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Kayla Grace
2-1 beats · initials KG
Changes the beat after Kayla: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Kayla Olivia
2-4 beats · initials KO · Kayla slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Kayla: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Kayla slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Kayla Sophia
2-3 beats · initials KS
Changes the beat after Kayla: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Kayla Maria
2-3 beats · initials KM
Changes the beat after Kayla: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Kayla Rose
2-1 beats · initials KR
Changes the beat after Kayla: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Kayla Emily
2-3 beats · initials KE · Kayla slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Kayla: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Kayla slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Kayla Julia
2-3 beats · initials KJ
Changes the beat after Kayla: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Kayla Miriam
2-3 beats · initials KM
Changes the beat after Kayla: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Kayla
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 2,429 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Kayla across countries and decades.
1 in 1,214 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Kayla across countries and decades.
1 in 341 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Kayla across countries and decades.
1 in 225 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Kayla across countries and decades.
1 in 1,822 in Northern Ireland
93% alike: moves with Kayla across countries and decades.
1 in 778 in Scotland
93% alike: moves with Kayla across countries and decades.
1 in 1,634 in England and Wales
93% alike: moves with Kayla across countries and decades.
1 in 2,347 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Kayla across countries and decades.
Famous people named Kayla
Kayla Ewell, Kayla Harrison, Kayla Barron, Kayla Day, Kayla Mueller, Kayla Sanchez, Kayla Banwarth and Kayla McBride.
Show all 8Show less
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American actress born 1985
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American Olympic judoka and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter born 1990
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American astronaut born 1987
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American female tennis player born 1999
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American aid worker and ISIS captive (1988–2015)
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Filipino-Canadian swimmer born 2001
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American volleyball player and coach born 1989
-
American basketball player (born 1992)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Kayla
4 questions, on how popular she is, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Kayla?
Her best rank is No. 83 in Quebec in 2025, about 1 in 394 girls. She is in the published lists of 19 of our 40 regions.
How do you pronounce Kayla?
KAY-luh, with 2 syllables.
Is Kayla getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 7 of 17 regions, falling in 7.
Which sister names go with Kayla?
The deck's top five sisters for Kayla: Kylie, Alyssa, Jenna, Amber and Hope. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.