Ayla
Ayla Origin and Meaning
Bright, fresh, and sunny, Ayla is a fashionable choice for girls. Reminiscent of other trending names such as Layla, Isla, and Ava, Ayla has recently found its place in the Top 100.
At first glance, Ayla appears to be short, sweet, and simple – a modern invention, perhaps – but don’t be deceived. Like many names, it has different pronunciations and various origins, making it an exciting and international choice.
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 2500 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 couldlead 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.
Ayla Rank in US Top 1000
Ayla Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
Ayla Popularity
- 98US2022
- 112Nameberry2024
- 189Future2028
- 67England2021
- 54Scotland2023
- 61Ireland2023
- 51Australia2022
- 73New Zealand2023
- 81Germany2023
- 75Netherlands2023
- 29Brazil2023
- 73Sweden2022
- 60Switzerland2022
- 8Azerbaijan2022
- 62Canada2022
20 Names Similar to Ayla
Famous People Named Ayla
- Ayla Marie KellAmerican actress
- Ayla Marie BrownAmerican singer
- Ayla SchwartzAmerican actress
- Ayla AlganTurkish actress
- Ayla DikmenTurkish singer
- Ayla Akat AtaTurkish MP
- Ayla MalikPakistani politician
- Ayla Razadaughter 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
Ayla in Pop Culture
- Aylamain character in the Clan of the Cave Bear/Earth's Children series by Jean Auel
- Ayla Ranzz aka Lightning Lasscharacter in DC Comics
- Princess Aylacharacter in video game "Chrono Trigger"
- Ayla Bellimother 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".