NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Kaila

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "slender and graceful".

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.

Kaila is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kaila popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2771, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 41 births.

This profile covers 450 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 22% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 539 living people in the UK are called Kaila. 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

  • Kaila ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 9 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2011, when 41 girls were registered as Kaila.
  • Kaila ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2017.
  • About 539 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kaila as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2771

2024

Births in 2024

9

Latest year

Peak year

2011

41 births

Estimated living

539

2026

Meaning

What does Kaila mean?

The name Kaila is believed to have originated in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "kaila," which means "mountain peak" or "summit." The name is thought to have been used in various parts of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in regions where Sanskrit was spoken and influential.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kaila can be found in ancient Hindu texts and scriptures. In the Mahabharata, a famous Sanskrit epic from ancient India, there is a character named Kaila who is described as a skilled archer and warrior. This suggests that the name may have been in use during the time when the Mahabharata was composed, potentially between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE.

Over the centuries, the name Kaila has been borne by several notable figures throughout history. In the 6th century CE, there was a famous Sanskrit scholar and grammarian named Kaila who wrote extensively on the rules and structure of the Sanskrit language. His works were highly influential and helped to shape the study of Sanskrit grammar for generations to come.

Another prominent figure with the name Kaila was Kaila Devi, a 16th-century Indian queen who ruled over the Gond kingdom in central India. She is remembered for her military prowess and her efforts to expand and strengthen the kingdom during her reign.

In more recent times, Kaila Mullady was an American author and activist who lived from 1919 to 2007. She was known for her writings on feminism and social justice, and she played an important role in the women's rights movement in the United States.

Kaila Nitz, born in 1990, is a Canadian actress and singer who has appeared in various television shows and films. She is particularly notable for her role in the popular children's series "The Next Step."

While the name Kaila has its roots in ancient Sanskrit, it has been adopted and used across different cultures and regions over time. Its meaning and significance have evolved, but it remains a name with a rich history and connection to the ancient traditions of the Indian subcontinent.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kaila over time

The chart below shows babies named Kaila registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Kaila, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2024, compared with 41 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kaila
010213141199620102024

Decades

Kaila by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kaila 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 #2368 55 5
2010s #1795 199 10
2000s #1432 179 10
1990s #3143 17 4

Geography

Where Kaila is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kaila. 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.

Kaila ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2017.

Northern Ireland
3
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Kaila in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#790 in 2024

15 years of NRS records, 76 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#432 in 2017

5 years of NISRA records, 16 total registered

Related

Names similar to Kaila

FAQ

Kaila: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Kaila was ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.

When was Kaila most popular?

The peak year on record was 2011, with 41 babies registered as Kaila in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kaila?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "slender and graceful".

How many people are called Kaila in the UK?

A total of 450 babies have been registered as Kaila across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 76 more in Scotland and 16 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Kaila most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Kaila ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #432 in 2017. 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.