Isla
Isla was the 28th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6,012 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 114 places. More babies were named Isla in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning from Islay, a Scottish island · Scottish place name
Say it EYE-luh /ˈaɪlə/
- Rank in 2025
- #28 girls, up 16 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6,012girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20256,012 babies
- Total since 1880
- 58,271babies recorded
What does the name Isla mean?
Isla is a Scottish name taken from an old spelling of Islay, an island in the Inner Hebrides. Two Scottish rivers are also called Isla. Wiktionary says the girls' name was coined in the 20th century; Wikipedia notes that the original form, Islay or Ilay, was a man's name. The origin of the place name itself is unknown. It is unrelated to the Spanish word isla, 'island'.
Islay (Scottish (place name), “island in the Hebrides; origin unknown”)
How sure is this? Probable. The island name has no known origin.
Other explanations you may read: From Spanish isla 'island'.
Pronunciation: The s is silent.
See also: Scottish names, names from places.
Isla popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 19 since 2020, 7 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #28 | 6,012 |
| 2020 | #44 | 4,579 |
| 2010 | #297 | 1,099 |
| 2000 | #3,550 | 37 |
| 1990 | #8,750 | 9 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | #3,790 | 9 |
| 1940 | #2,833 | 10 |
| 1930 | #1,681 | 23 |
| 1920 | #1,776 | 23 |
| 1910 | #1,240 | 14 |
| 1900 | #1,078 | 13 |
| 1890 | #901 | 10 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Isla, counting every spelling?
Isla is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #35 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #28 for Isla on its own. Together these spellings went to 6,075 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isla | 6,012 | #28 | 27,607 |
| Islah | 55 | #3,009 | 270 |
| Izla | 8 | #11,314 | 34 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Isla?
6,012 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Isla (1.67 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Isla born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 32. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Isla.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Isla?
About 57,000 people born in the US named Isla are alive today, with a median age of 6; half are between 3 and 10. That makes Isla a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Isla by state
How common Isla was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (4.6×), Vermont (4.0×), Alaska (3.5×), Rhode Island (3.3×), New Hampshire (3.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Texas, Mississippi, Georgia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Isla: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Isla, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Isla · Sibling names for Isla
Questions about the name Isla
What does Isla mean?
Isla means “from Islay, a Scottish island” (Scottish place name origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Isla?
Isla was the 28th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6,012 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 114 places. More babies were named Isla in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Isla a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Isla in the US.
Where is Isla most popular?
In 2021–2025, Isla was most common in Hawaii (15.62 per 1,000 girls), followed by Vermont and Alaska.