UK girl's name
La
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "the".
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.
La is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for La popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 9 births.
This profile covers 61 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 1997 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 61 living people in the UK are called La. 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
- • La ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 9 girls were registered as La.
- • About 61 living people in the UK are estimated to have La as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5891
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2010
9 births
Estimated living
61
2026
Meaning
What does La mean?
The name La has its origins in several different cultures and languages around the world. In ancient Sanskrit, the syllable "La" is believed to have been used as a spiritual mantra or sound representing the concept of energy or life force. It is also found in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, where it is associated with spiritual awakening and enlightenment.
In the Vietnamese language, La is a common given name for both males and females. It is derived from the word "la" meaning "leaf" or "foliage," and is often associated with nature, growth, and renewal. The name has been in use in Vietnam for centuries and can be found in historical records dating back to the 10th century.
In the Arabic language, the name La is a shortened form of the name Layla, which means "night" or "dark beauty." The name Layla has its roots in pre-Islamic Arabian poetry and has been popular in the Middle East for centuries. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Layla is found in the 7th-century epic poem "Layla and Majnun" by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi.
In ancient Greece, the name La was associated with the goddess Athena, who was also known as Pallas Athena. The name La was sometimes used as a shortened form of Pallas, which means "to brandish" or "to wield a weapon." Athena was the goddess of wisdom, courage, and warfare, and her name was often invoked by warriors and philosophers alike.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the first name La. One of the earliest recorded examples is La Tzu, a Chinese philosopher who lived during the 6th century BCE and is considered one of the founding figures of Taoism. Another famous bearer of the name was La Hire, a French military commander who served under Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War in the 15th century.
In more recent times, the name La has been carried by several influential figures, including La Monte Young, an American composer and pioneer of the minimalist music movement, who was born in 1935. La Vaughn Belle, an American singer and songwriter born in 1966, is also known by the name La. Another notable individual is La Monte Moore, an American basketball player who played in the NBA from 2000 to 2005.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
La over time
The chart below shows babies named La registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 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 La, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
La by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether La 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 | #5891 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4975 | 19 | 4 |
| 2000s | #4015 | 31 | 7 |
| 1990s | #3200 | 8 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to La
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Lauren 50,664
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
FAQ
La: questions and answers
How popular is the name La in the UK right now?
In 2024, La was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was La most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 9 babies registered as La in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of La?
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "the".
How many people are called La in the UK?
A total of 61 babies have been registered as La across the 14 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.