Given name & surname · also Finnish
Aila
“one who bears light”·“from a protected place”
Aila is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “one who bears light” and “from a protected place”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Original FinnishLaila
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “one who bears light” and “from a protected place”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Finnish and Scottish naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1920. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Aila through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,268
- 0 boys · 4,268 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 378 babies
- 2025
- 329
- #827 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +62%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 329 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 827 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 62.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (51). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,221 as a first name in 2020; 119 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Aila’s family of names
In Finnish usage, Aila has a conventional equivalent in the Polish form Olga. In Norwegian usage, Aila has a related form in Laila. In Finnish usage, Aila has a related form in Aili.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Aila
- Aila MeriluotoFinnish poet, author and translator (1924-2019)
- Aila PaloniemiFinnish politicianborn 1956
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Aila, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Davina
“the beloved one” · “Beloved”
>99% girls
Isla
“from the island”
>99% girls
Ainsley
“one's own meadow”
1% boys · 99% girls
Aileen
“light-bearer” · “from the green meadow”
>99% girls
Alora
Alora is a feminine given name from Bantu.
>99% girls
Alaia
“one who is majestic, of high worth” · “joy”
>99% girls
Raya
“a beloved friend”
>99% girls
Kali
“the dark one; in Hinduism, a destructive force” · “one who provides comfort”
3% boys · 97% girls