Given name · also Norwegian
Eila
“a birdlike woman”
Eila is a variant of Eileen. In Gaelic use, Eileen carries the interpretation “a birdlike woman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Eila is a variant of Eileen. In Gaelic use, Eileen carries the interpretation “a birdlike woman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Eila possibly comes from Norwegian, and ultimately from English.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In Finnish usage, Eila developed from Eileen. In Finnish usage, Eila developed from EILI.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1912. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Eila through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,906
- 0 boys · 1,906 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 156 babies
- 2025
- 113
- #1,783 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +16%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 113 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,783 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,176 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Eila’s family of names
In Finnish usage, Eila developed from the English form Eileen. In Finnish usage, Eila has a related form in EILI. Eila has a related form in Eileen.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Around the world
Eila has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Englishwhere Eila comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Eila
- Eila HiltunenFinnish sculptor (1922–2003)
- Eila PehkonenFinnish actress (1924–1991)
- Eila RoineFinnish actress1931–2025
- Eila Kivikk'ahoFinnish poet (1921-2004)
- Eila PeitsaloFinnish actor (1931-1997)
- Eila NilssonSwedish swimmer1966–2022
- Eila CampbellUniversity teacher and historian of cartography (1915–1994)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Eila, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“one who is merciful”
>99% girls
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“open sea”
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“star of the sea”
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Elsi
Elsi is a feminine given name, possibly from English. It is used in Finnish.
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Neela
“a champion” · “referring to a horn”
>99% girls
Elisa
“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls
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“from the aspen tree”
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Halsey
“a playful woman” · “from Hal's island”
1% boys · 99% girls