NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Kailah

A feminine Arabic name meaning "she who is slender and thin".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kailah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kailah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5493, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 9 births.

This profile covers 49 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 2001 to 2020. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 60 living people in the UK are called Kailah. 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 2021 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kailah ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales in 2020, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2009, when 9 girls were registered as Kailah.
  • Kailah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #792 in 2021.
  • About 60 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kailah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5493

2020

Births in 2020

3

Latest year

Peak year

2009

9 births

Estimated living

60

2026

Meaning

What does Kailah mean?

The name Kailah is a modern variant of the Hebrew name Kayla, which means "crown" or "wreath." It is derived from the Hebrew word "keter," meaning "crown." This name has its roots in ancient Semitic languages and can be traced back to the biblical era.

Kayla, the traditional spelling, first appeared in the Bible as a masculine name. In the Book of Numbers, Kayla is listed as one of the leaders of the tribe of Naphtali. However, the name gained popularity as a feminine name much later, possibly during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kailah can be found in the 13th century, when it was borne by Kailah bint al-Aziz, a princess of the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt. She lived from 1215 to 1257 and was known for her patronage of the arts and literature.

In the 16th century, Kailah al-Hashimiyah was a renowned poet and scholar from Syria. She was born in Damascus in 1508 and gained recognition for her contributions to Arabic literature.

During the 18th century, Kailah bint Muhammad al-Qadiri was a famous Sufi mystic and scholar from Iraq. She lived from 1720 to 1795 and was renowned for her teachings and writings on Islamic spirituality.

In the 19th century, Kailah Delitzsch was a German Orientalist and theologian who lived from 1813 to 1890. She made significant contributions to the study of Semitic languages and biblical exegesis.

Another notable figure was Kailah al-Muhammadiyah, an Egyptian feminist and activist who lived from 1865 to 1947. She was a pioneer in advocating for women's rights and education in the Arab world.

While the name Kailah has ancient roots, its modern popularity can be attributed to its unique and melodic sound, as well as its connection to the symbolic meaning of "crown" or "wreath." It has become a favored choice for parents seeking a name with a rich cultural heritage and a touch of individuality.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kailah over time

The chart below shows babies named Kailah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kailah, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2020, compared with 9 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kailah
02579200120102020

Decades

Kailah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kailah 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 #5493 3 1
2010s #5067 22 6
2000s #4079 24 5

Geography

Where Kailah is most common

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

Kailah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #792 in 2021.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Kailah in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#792 in 2021

3 years of NRS records, 11 total registered

Related

Names similar to Kailah

FAQ

Kailah: questions and answers

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

In 2020, Kailah was ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Kailah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2009, with 9 babies registered as Kailah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kailah?

A feminine Arabic name meaning "she who is slender and thin".

How many people are called Kailah in the UK?

A total of 49 babies have been registered as Kailah across the 12 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 11 more in Scotland.

Where is Kailah most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Kailah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #792 in 2021. 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.