NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Cayla

A feminine English name derived from the French name Cayley.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Cayla is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Cayla popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5687, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 25 births.

This profile covers 283 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 1996 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 12% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 395 living people in the UK are called Cayla. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Cayla ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2010, when 25 girls were registered as Cayla.
  • Cayla ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #333 in 2020.
  • About 395 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cayla as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5687

2023

Births in 2023

3

Latest year

Peak year

2010

25 births

Estimated living

395

2026

Meaning

What does Cayla mean?

The name Cayla has its origins in the Gaelic language, spoken primarily in Ireland and Scotland. It emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th to 14th centuries, and is believed to be a feminine form of the name Cailean, which itself is derived from the Old Irish word "caille," meaning "young woman" or "maiden."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cayla dates back to the 14th century, when it appeared in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. However, its use remained relatively rare until the late 20th century, when it gained popularity as a given name.

Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Cayla. One such person was Cayla Farrely (1892-1976), a British actress and singer who appeared in numerous stage productions and films during the early 20th century. Another was Cayla Harkins (1926-2001), an American painter and sculptor whose works were exhibited in galleries across the United States.

In the realm of literature, the name Cayla was used by the Irish novelist James Joyce in his famous work, "Ulysses." One of the minor characters in the novel was named Cayla Dedalus, although her significance was relatively minor.

Moving into more recent times, Cayla Wilkey (born 1983) is an American basketball player who played professionally in the WNBA for several years, representing teams such as the Los Angeles Sparks and the Washington Mystics.

Lastly, Cayla Lawson (born 1987) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician who has released several albums and has gained recognition for her unique blend of folk and pop music.

While the name Cayla has ancient roots in Celtic culture, it has transcended its origins and gained popularity around the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, as a beautiful and distinctive feminine name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Cayla over time

The chart below shows babies named Cayla registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Cayla, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 25 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Cayla
06131925199620092023

Decades

Cayla by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cayla was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4218 15 3
2010s #2547 133 10
2000s #1903 131 10
1990s #3126 4 1

Geography

Where Cayla is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Cayla. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Cayla ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #333 in 2020.

Scotland
5
Northern Ireland
4

Across the UK

Cayla in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#583 in 2018

13 years of NRS records, 88 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#333 in 2020

7 years of NISRA records, 26 total registered

Related

Names similar to Cayla

FAQ

Cayla: questions and answers

How popular is the name Cayla in the UK right now?

In 2023, Cayla was ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Cayla most popular?

The peak year on record was 2010, with 25 babies registered as Cayla in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Cayla?

A feminine English name derived from the French name Cayley.

How many people are called Cayla in the UK?

A total of 283 babies have been registered as Cayla across the 24 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 88 more in Scotland and 26 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Cayla most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Cayla ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #333 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.