Kayla

How to say it

/ˈkeɪ.lə/

What it means

Largely a modern American coinage (Kay plus -la, or a short of Michaela); also linked to the Hebrew Kelila, 'crown, laurel.'

Kayla is mostly a modern American invention, read as Kay plus the popular -la ending, or as a clip of Michaela. It also connects to the Hebrew Kelila, 'crown' or 'laurel.' It exploded in the late 1980s and 1990s, helped along by a long-running Days of Our Lives character, and it now reads as a signature name of that era. Kay is the natural short.

Heads-up notes

• Spelling

  Mostly a modern coinage; sometimes tied to the Hebrew Kelila, 'crown.'

• Pop culture

  A Days of Our Lives character helped drive its 1980s-90s surge.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Kayla Harrison American Olympic gold-medal judoka

Spelling variants

• Kaila
• Kaylah
• Cayla

Names with the same feeling

• Layla Night, dark beauty
• Mila Gracious, dear
• Ayla Halo of light, or 'oak tree'
• Kiara Clear, bright
• Mia Mine, or 'bitter'

See Kayla from another angle