Kayla

Where Kayla comes from

A modern invention possibly based on Kay or Michaela; possibly formed on the pattern of Layla.
— Wiktionary's entry for Kayla
  • 2 syllables
  • Vowel-ended
Kayla through the years
  1. 1933
    First appearance
    #3,753 among girls with 6 babies, the first year at least five got the name.
  2. 1982
    Around this time: Days of Our Lives
    TV, 1982 · Source · Date
    “Use of the name increased in the 1980s after the name was used for the character Kayla Brady on the American soap opera Days of Our Lives.”
  3. 1985
    Kayla Ewell born
    American actress
  4. 1990
    Kayla Harrison born
    American Olympic judoka and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter
  5. 1995
    Peak, #11
    16,087 babies named Kayla, its best rank.
  6. 2007
    The fade
    The first year with half the peak's births, down to #26.
In the dictionary
  • A female given name of modern usage.
Namesakes
  • Kayla Ewell · American actress, born 1985
  • Kayla Harrison · American Olympic judoka and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, born 1990
  • Kayla Barron · American astronaut, born 1987
  • Kayla Day · American female tennis player, born 1999
  • Kayla Mueller · American aid worker and ISIS captive, 1988–2015

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record. Events show what happened around then, not why parents chose the name. Quotes are from the linked Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).