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Ayla

Girl name · 1,290 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Ayla: 1,290 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 102 births in 2021.

Ayla has multiple origins, but for English and Scottish speakers it is most often linked to Hebrew, where it means "oak tree" or "terebinth," and appears in the Bible as a place name. It also has roots in Turkish, where Ayla means "halo of light around the moon," and in Kazakh, where it can mean "moonlight" or "moonbeam"—a lovely, lyrical connection for a baby girl. The name was brought to modern attention largely by the bestselling novel *The Clan of the Cave Bear*, whose protagonist, Ayla, is a strong, resourceful prehistoric woman. In Scotland, Ayla has steadily risen in popularity since the 1990s, often chosen for its melodic sound and cross-cultural appeal. A common variant is Isla, though Ayla remains its own distinct and increasingly beloved choice.