NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Dila

A feminine name of Persian origin meaning "heart" or "soul".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Dila is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Dila popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3318, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 14 births.

This profile covers 120 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2008 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 119 living people in the UK are called Dila. 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 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Dila ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2020, when 14 girls were registered as Dila.
  • About 119 living people in the UK are estimated to have Dila as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3318

2024

Births in 2024

7

Latest year

Peak year

2020

14 births

Estimated living

119

2026

Meaning

What does Dila mean?

The name Dila is believed to have its origins in the Sanskrit language, originating from ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "dila," which means "generous" or "open-hearted." The name is thought to have been in use as early as the 5th century BCE, during the height of the Vedic period in India.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Dila can be found in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. In this epic, Dila is the name of a minor character, a warrior who fought alongside the Pandavas in the great Kurukshetra war.

Throughout history, the name Dila has been used across various regions of India, particularly in the northern and central parts of the subcontinent. It has also been adopted by certain communities in neighboring countries, such as Nepal and Bangladesh.

Notable figures who bore the name Dila include Dila Khan, a 16th-century Mughal military commander who served under the Emperor Akbar. Another prominent individual was Dila Rani, a 17th-century queen consort of the Garhwal Kingdom in present-day Uttarakhand, India.

In more recent times, Dila Nath Pandey (1907-1988) was an Indian freedom fighter and politician from Uttar Pradesh, who played an active role in the Indian independence movement. Dila Sangraula (1937-2021) was a renowned Nepali playwright, novelist, and essayist, known for her contributions to the literary world.

Additionally, Dila Gori (born 1964) is a contemporary Indian classical dancer and choreographer, who has received numerous awards and accolades for her work in promoting and preserving the traditional dance forms of India.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Dila over time

The chart below shows babies named Dila registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Dila, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 14 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Dila
0471114200820162024

Decades

Dila by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Dila 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 #2925 44 5
2010s #3332 66 9
2000s #3981 10 2

Related

Names similar to Dila

FAQ

Dila: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Dila was ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.

When was Dila most popular?

The peak year on record was 2020, with 14 babies registered as Dila in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Dila?

A feminine name of Persian origin meaning "heart" or "soul".

How many people are called Dila in the UK?

A total of 120 babies have been registered as Dila across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.