NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Ryla

A feminine name of Aboriginal Australian origin meaning "wind-eroded rock formation".

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.

Ryla is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Ryla popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 7 births.

This profile covers 28 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 2015 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 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 28 living people in the UK are called Ryla. 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

  • Ryla ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 7 girls were registered as Ryla.
  • About 28 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ryla as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4843

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

2021

7 births

Estimated living

28

2026

Meaning

What does Ryla mean?

The name Ryla is thought to have originated from the Sanskrit language, an ancient Indo-Aryan tongue that was the root of many modern Indian languages. Its earliest known roots can be traced back to the 2nd century BCE, where it was derived from the Sanskrit word "rila," meaning "playful" or "joyous."

In ancient Hindu texts, Ryla is mentioned as a minor deity associated with music, dance, and celebration. Some scholars believe that this name may have been bestowed upon children born during festivals or auspicious occasions. The earliest recorded use of Ryla as a personal name dates back to the 5th century CE, found in Buddhist scriptures from the Indian subcontinent.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Ryla was a 7th-century Indian poet and philosopher, Ryla Shastri, who was renowned for her contributions to the field of linguistic studies. Her work on the grammatical structure of Sanskrit is still widely referenced in academic circles.

In the 11th century, Ryla Devi, a princess from the Chola dynasty in southern India, was known for her patronage of the arts and her support for the construction of several iconic temples in the region.

During the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, Ryla Begum was a prominent figure in the court of Emperor Akbar. She was an influential advisor and played a crucial role in shaping the cultural and artistic landscape of the empire.

Another notable figure was Ryla Bai, a 19th-century Indian classical dancer and courtesan, who was celebrated for her mastery of the Kathak dance form and her contribution to reviving the art during a period of decline.

Ryla Goswami, born in 1923, was a renowned Indian freedom fighter and social activist who dedicated her life to empowering women and promoting education in rural areas of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ryla over time

The chart below shows babies named Ryla registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2015 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 Ryla, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 7 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Ryla
02457201520192024

Decades

Ryla by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ryla 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 #4314 20 4
2010s #4858 8 2

Related

Names similar to Ryla

FAQ

Ryla: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Ryla was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Ryla most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 7 babies registered as Ryla in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ryla?

A feminine name of Aboriginal Australian origin meaning "wind-eroded rock formation".

How many people are called Ryla in the UK?

A total of 28 babies have been registered as Ryla across the 6 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.