Ayla

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.

Pronounced AY-luh.

As of October 2026, Ayla ranked #77 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #69 in 2024, Nameberry popularity #123.