Girl's name
Zala
Say it ZAH-luh
Roots in Slovene and Slavic beautiful
2 syllables
Where Zala is loved, common and rare
Loved in Slovenia. Rare in Austria, England and Wales and France.
1 in 21,107 girls born in England and Wales in 2025
Slovenia 5thAustria 1875thEngland and Wales 2277th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 4 of the 40 official lists, among them Slovenia (5th), Austria (1875th) and England and Wales (2277th).
Show all 4 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slovenia | 5th 2025 | 148 | about 1 in 45 |
| Austria | 1875th 2025 | 1 | 1 in 35,722 |
| England and Wales | 2277th 2025 | 12 | 1 in 21,107 |
| France | 3366th 2025 | 5 | 1 in 57,359 |
Rare, below the listed names: Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Catalonia, Italy, Poland, Hungary and Israel.
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).
Sources: Statistični urad Republike Slovenije (SURS), SiStat (Slovenia); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France). How we count, and every source
About the name
Zala is a Slovene girls' name derived from the Old Slovene zal, meaning 'beautiful'. Few names carry their meaning so plainly, and it remains closely tied to Slovenia and its language.
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Said ZAH-luh, it has two syllables with the stress on the first. Zara, Zola and Sala are close in form, and its short, even rhythm makes it easy to say in many languages.
Zala is a top-5 name in Slovenia and a firm favourite there. Outside Slovenia it is very rare, found only in small numbers in England and Wales, Austria and France. Its popularity is concentrated in one country to an unusual degree, which gives the name a distinctly Slovene character. Abroad it remains a rare and unusual choice.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- ZAH-luh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
beautiful
- Origin
- Slovene and Slavic
- Other spellings
- Zara
- Zelal
- Zola
- Zallascht
- Sala
Etymology
Slovene female given name, derived from Old Slovene zal, meaning 'beautiful'.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: falling in 1 of 1 region, rising in none.
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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 | 4763 | 4063 | 3178 | 3151 | 3117 | 2942 | 2488 | 4056 | 2253 | 2277 |
| France | 3521 | 3443 | 3366 | |||||||
| Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
England and Wales, 2004 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2277 | 12 | 4.7 |
| 2024 | 2253 | 12 | 4.7 |
| 2023 | 4056 | 5 | 1.9 |
| 2022 | 2488 | 10 | 3.8 |
| 2021 | 2942 | 8 | 2.9 |
| 2020 | 3117 | 7 | 2.6 |
| 2019 | 3151 | 7 | 2.5 |
| 2018 | 3178 | 7 | 2.4 |
| 2017 | 4063 | 5 | 1.7 |
| 2016 | 4763 | 4 | 1.3 |
| 2015 | 4103 | 5 | 1.6 |
| 2014 | 3160 | 7 | 2.3 |
| 2013 | 5742 | 3 | 1.0 |
| 2012 | 2969 | 8 | 2.5 |
| 2011 | 5785 | 3 | 0.9 |
| 2004 | 4598 | 3 | 1.0 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Sister names for Zala
1 in 6,799 in Switzerland
Rose and fell with Zala.
1 in 31,660 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Zala.
1 in 16,997 in Switzerland
Rose and fell with Zala.
15th in Slovenia
Rose and fell with Zala.
1 in 35,722 in Austria
Rose and fell with Zala. Same first letter as Zala.
21st in Slovenia
Rose and fell with Zala.
31st in Slovenia
Rose and fell with Zala.
1 in 63,320 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Zala.
1 in 5,704 in Poland
Rose and fell with Zala.
1 in 16,997 in Switzerland
Rose and fell with Zala.
Middle names for Zala
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Zala Grace
2-1 beats · initials ZG
Changes the beat after Zala: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Zala Olivia
2-4 beats · initials ZO · Zala slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Zala: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Zala slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Zala Sophia
2-3 beats · initials ZS
Changes the beat after Zala: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Zala Maria
2-3 beats · initials ZM
Changes the beat after Zala: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Zala Rose
2-1 beats · initials ZR
Changes the beat after Zala: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Zala Emily
2-3 beats · initials ZE · Zala slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Zala: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Zala slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Zala Julia
2-3 beats · initials ZJ
Changes the beat after Zala: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Zala Miriam
2-3 beats · initials ZM
Changes the beat after Zala: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Zala
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 31,660 in England and Wales
97% alike: moves with Zala across countries and decades.
1 in 36,183 in England and Wales
96% alike: moves with Zala across countries and decades.
1 in 35,722 in Austria
96% alike: moves with Zala across countries and decades.
1 in 13,331 in England and Wales
96% alike: moves with Zala across countries and decades.
1 in 84,427 in England and Wales
95% alike: moves with Zala across countries and decades.
94th in Slovenia
94% alike: moves with Zala across countries and decades.
1 in 63,320 in England and Wales
94% alike: moves with Zala across countries and decades.
1 in 35,722 in Austria
93% alike: moves with Zala across countries and decades.
Questions about Zala
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Zala?
Her best rank is No. 5 in Slovenia in 2025, about 1 in 45 girls. She is in the published lists of 4 of our 40 regions.
What does Zala mean?
Wiktionary glosses Zala as "beautiful".
How do you pronounce Zala?
ZAH-luh, with 2 syllables.
Is Zala getting more popular?
Over five years: falling in 1 of 1 region, rising in none.
Which sister names go with Zala?
The deck's top five sisters for Zala: Julija, Vita, Ajda, Neza and Zarja. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.