UK girl's name
Kayla
A feminine name of modern Hebrew origin meaning "crown of laurels".
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.
Kayla is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kayla popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #332, with 130 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 604 births.
This profile covers 6,541 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 9,271 living people in the UK are called Kayla. 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
- • Kayla ranked #332 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 130 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2011, when 604 girls were registered as Kayla.
- • Kayla ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #171 in 2024.
- • About 9,271 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kayla as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#332
2024
Births in 2024
130
Latest year
Peak year
2011
604 births
Estimated living
9,271
2026
Meaning
What does Kayla mean?
The name Kayla originated from the Hebrew name Kaye, which means "beloved" or "laurel plant." It gained popularity in the United States and other English-speaking countries in the late 20th century as a feminine form of the name Kyle.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kayla can be traced back to the 1960s in the United States. It is believed to have been derived from the Hebrew root "k-y-l," which means "crown" or "wreath."
In ancient texts, the name Kayla is not found, as it is a relatively modern name. However, the root "k-y-l" is present in several Hebrew names, such as Keila and Kalila.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Kayla was Kayla Baxter-Smedley, an American swimmer born in 1982. She won a gold medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Another famous Kayla is Kayla Harrison, an American judoka and mixed martial artist born in 1990. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, having won at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
In the entertainment industry, Kayla Ewell, an American actress born in 1985, is known for her roles in various television series, including "The Vampire Diaries" and "Batwoman."
Kayla Rae Reid, an American model born in 1991, gained recognition for her relationship with actor Ryan Lochte and their marriage in 2018.
Lastly, Kayla Treanor, an American lacrosse player born in 1994, is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. She led Syracuse University to two NCAA Division I national championships in 2014 and 2015.
While the name Kayla is relatively new, it has gained widespread popularity and has been borne by notable individuals across various fields, from sports to entertainment.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kayla over time
The chart below shows babies named Kayla 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 Kayla, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 130 births in 2024, compared with 604 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kayla by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kayla 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 | #346 | 645 | 5 |
| 2010s | #215 | 2,956 | 10 |
| 2000s | #200 | 2,688 | 10 |
| 1990s | #464 | 252 | 4 |
Geography
Where Kayla is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kayla. 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.
Kayla ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #171 in 2024.
Across the UK
Kayla in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#171 in 2024
32 years of NRS records, 2,199 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#253 in 2024
27 years of NISRA records, 579 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Kayla
-
Kayla Bradley
association football player
Caymanian footballer
2005-
-
Kayla Caldwell
association football player
Bermudian footballer
2003-
-
Kayla Van Der Merwe
swimmer
British swimmer
2002-
-
Kayla Rendell
association football player
English association football player
2001-
-
Kayla Bell
wheelchair basketball player
British wheelchair basketball player (born 1996)
1996-
-
Kayla Kiriau
basketball player
Cook Island basketball player (born 1993)
1993-
-
Kayla Williams
hairdresser
Londoner who died of COVID-19
1983-2020
Related
Names similar to Kayla
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
- Katy 5,121
FAQ
Kayla: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kayla in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kayla was ranked #332 for girls in England and Wales, with 130 births registered.
When was Kayla most popular?
The peak year on record was 2011, with 604 babies registered as Kayla in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kayla?
A feminine name of modern Hebrew origin meaning "crown of laurels".
How many people are called Kayla in the UK?
A total of 6,541 babies have been registered as Kayla across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 2,199 more in Scotland and 579 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Kayla most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kayla ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #171 in 2024. 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.