Aila
A feminine, Arabic name meaning "highest" or "most exalted."
Name Census estimates that about 3,900 living Americans carry the first name Aila. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Aila today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aila births was 2021 (378 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aila. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Aila is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 9 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
3.9K
~ 1 in 87,886 Americans
Peak year
2021
378 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#793
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Aila: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aila from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 1,745 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aila by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Aila during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ailas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 31 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Aila, while Kansas, Nevada, Iowa recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 85 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aila
The name Aila has its roots in the Finnish language and culture, originating from the Finnish word "ä?ili," which means "wave" or "swell." It is believed to have been first used as a given name in Finland during the late 19th century, reflecting the country's close connection to the sea and its coastal regions.
The name Aila can also be found in other Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Norway, where it is spelled slightly differently as "Ayla" or "Aila." This variation in spelling is likely due to the influence of different regional dialects and the adaptation of the name to local linguistic traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aila can be found in Finnish literature from the early 20th century. The novel "Merenneito" (The Mermaid) by Finnish author Teuvo Pakkala, published in 1904, featured a character named Aila, which may have contributed to the popularization of the name in Finland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Aila. One of the most famous was Aila Meriluoto (1924-2022), a renowned Finnish poet and translator who won numerous prestigious literary awards, including the Eino Leino Prize and the State Prize for Literature.
Another prominent figure with this name was Aila Sariolainen (1914-2000), a Finnish actress and singer who gained fame for her performances in numerous Finnish films and stage productions during the mid-20th century.
In the field of sports, Aila Jussila (1939-2015) was a Finnish long-distance runner who competed in the 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal in the 3000 meters event at the 1964 Tokyo Games.
Beyond Finland, the name Aila has been used by individuals from various cultural backgrounds. Aila Dharker (born 1949) is an Indian actress and writer who has appeared in numerous Bollywood films and stage productions, as well as in British television series.
Aila Iyengar (1924-2018) was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who made significant contributions to the promotion and preservation of the Bharatanatyam dance form.
While the name Aila may have originated in the Finnish language and culture, its usage has transcended geographical boundaries, with individuals from diverse backgrounds embracing this name and contributing to its rich history and legacy.
People
Aila + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aila as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Aila: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aila?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,900 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aila going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 87,886 US residents.
Is Aila a common name?
We classify Aila as "Rare". It ranks above 95.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,938 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aila most popular?
The single biggest year for Aila was 2021, when 378 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aila is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Aila a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aila in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.