NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Sila

A feminine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "truth" or "goodness".

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.

Sila is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sila popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2411, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 30 births.

This profile covers 236 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. 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 37% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 238 living people in the UK are called Sila. 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

  • Sila ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2004, when 30 girls were registered as Sila.
  • Sila ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #809 in 2018.
  • About 238 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sila as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2411

2024

Births in 2024

11

Latest year

Peak year

2004

30 births

Estimated living

238

2026

Meaning

What does Sila mean?

The name Sila has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that originated in South Asia. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "shila," which means "rock" or "stone." The name Sila can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, where it was used to refer to rocks or stones that were considered sacred or symbolic.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sila can be found in the Rigveda, one of the oldest and most revered Hindu scriptures. In the Rigveda, the word "shila" is used to describe the sacrificial stones used in religious rituals. This suggests that the name Sila may have been associated with spiritual or religious connotations in ancient times.

In Buddhist traditions, the word "shila" is also used to refer to moral discipline or ethical conduct. This has led some scholars to interpret the name Sila as a symbol of strength, resilience, and steadfastness, reflecting the qualities of a rock or stone.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Sila. One of the earliest recorded examples is Sila Acharya, a 7th-century Indian philosopher and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of logic and epistemology.

Another famous figure with the name Sila was Sila Pathar, a renowned 16th-century Indian poet and mystic from the region of Bengal. His literary works, which often explored themes of spirituality and devotion, are still celebrated today.

In more modern times, Sila Samayange was a Sri Lankan politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to several nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom, in the latter half of the 20th century.

Sila Calderón was a prominent Puerto Rican politician and the first woman to be elected Governor of Puerto Rico, serving from 2001 to 2005. She played a significant role in promoting women's rights and gender equality during her time in office.

Sila Munavalli was an Indian actress and dancer who achieved fame in the 1970s and 1980s for her performances in various Kannada language films. She was highly regarded for her artistic talents and contributions to the world of dance and cinema.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Sila over time

The chart below shows babies named Sila 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 Sila, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 30 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Sila
08152330199720102024

Decades

Sila by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sila 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 #2816 45 5
2010s #3433 70 10
2000s #2323 116 9
1990s #2738 5 1

Geography

Where Sila is most common

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

Sila ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #809 in 2018.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Sila in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#809 in 2018

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Sila

FAQ

Sila: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Sila was ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.

When was Sila most popular?

The peak year on record was 2004, with 30 babies registered as Sila in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Sila?

A feminine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "truth" or "goodness".

How many people are called Sila in the UK?

A total of 236 babies have been registered as Sila across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Sila most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Sila ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #809 in 2018. 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.