​
​
Advanced Search

Ayla

AY-luh or EYE-luh
Hebrew or Turkish
"oak tree; halo, moonlight"
Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Mon Jul 14 2025

Ayla Origin and Meaning

The name Ayla is a girl's name of Hebrew, Turkish origin meaning "oak tree; halo, moonlight".

Bright, fresh, and sunny, Ayla is a fashionable and exciting international choice for girls. Reminiscent of other trending names such as Layla, Isla, and Ava, Ayla has recently found its place in the Top 100.

In Turkish, Ayla is pronounced "EYE-luh", meaning "halo" or "moonlight," whereas in Hebrew, it could be a modern take on the Biblical Elah meaning "terebinth tree," from Alon meaning "oak tree", or, from Ayelet or Ayala meaning "doe, deer, gazelle."

Alternatively, Ayla is a literary name, created by Jean. M. Auel, for her novel Clan of the Cave Bear." Pronounced "AY-luh," the independent heroine inspired American parents to use the name, and following the release of the film adaptation in 1986, it leapt straight into the Top 600.

Internationally popular, Ayla ranks highly in the UK, Sweden, and Azerbaijan, and is on the rise in France and Belgium.

In the US, over 3000 girls are given the name each year, meaning it has more than doubled in usage over the last decade.

Notable namesakes include the American singer, Ayla Brown, and the Turkish politician and activist, Ayla Akat Ata. A popular choice among influencers too, "The Flo Fam", "Sunkissed Mama,", and "The Prince Family" all have daughters called Ayla.

As lovely as the name is, in its own right and as an alternative to a Top 10 choice, it may be worth keeping in mind how similar Ayla's sounds are to those high-ranking names. This could lead to confusion between Ava/Isla/Ayla, or to Ayla feeling more popular than it actually is.

If you do love Ayla but want to stand out from the crowd a little more, you could consider Mira, Eira, Liora, Alara, Miray, or Aviya for their similarity in sound or feel.

# 69 in the US

Ayla Rank in US Top 1000

# 92 on Nameberry

Ayla Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Popularity of the name Ayla

20 Names Similar to Ayla

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Ayla.

Famous People Named Ayla

  • Ayla Marie Kell
    American actress
  • Ayla Marie Brown
    American singer
  • Ayla Schwartz
    American actress
  • Ayla Algan
    Turkish actress
  • Ayla Dikmen
    Turkish singer
  • Ayla Akat Ata
    Turkish MP
  • Ayla Malik
    Pakistani politician
  • Ayla Raza
    daughter of former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf
  • Ayla Thornton (b. 2010)
    daughter of ice hockey player Joe Thornton
  • Ayla Collins (b. 2015)
    daughter of late rugby union player Jerry Collins
  • Ayla Mauresmo (b. 2017)
    daughter of tennis player and coach Amelie Mauresmo

The name Ayla in Pop Culture

  • Ayla
    main character in the Clan of the Cave Bear/Earth's Children series by Jean Auel
  • Ayla Ranzz aka Lightning Lass
    character in DC Comics
  • Princess Ayla
    character in video game "Chrono Trigger"
  • Ayla Belli
    mother in video game "Haunting Ground"
  • "Ayla: The Daughter of War
    " 2017 Turkish film and its main character
  • "Ayla
    " song by The Maccabees
  • Ayla in scottish means "from a strong and resilient place"
    in Turkish means "halo around the moon" or simply "moonlight" and in Sanskrit means "light".

The name Ayla in Nameberry Blog Posts