Ajla
Of Arabic origin meaning "born at night" or "night-born beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 802 living Americans carry the first name Ajla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ajla today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ajla births was 2002 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ajla. 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.
People living today
802
~ 1 in 427,374 Americans
Peak year
2002
44 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,568
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Ajla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ajla from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 364 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Ajla remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ajla 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 Ajla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ajlas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, Missouri, Illinois recorded the most babies named Ajla, while Michigan, Florida, Iowa recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 29 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ajla
The name Ajla is believed to have originated from the Bosnian language, which is spoken primarily in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as parts of Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia. It is a relatively modern name that gained popularity in the late 20th century.
While the exact etymology is uncertain, some sources suggest that Ajla could be a variation of the Arabic name Ayla or Aila, which means "something shining or brilliant." Others propose that it may be derived from the Turkish word "ay," meaning "moon," or the Arabic word "ahl," meaning "family" or "people."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ajla can be found in the 1980s, when it started gaining popularity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, there are no significant historical references or mentions of this name in ancient texts or religious scriptures.
Over the years, several notable individuals have borne the name Ajla. One of the most famous is Ajla Tomljanović, a Croatian professional tennis player born in 1993. Another is Ajla Del Ponte, a Swiss sprinter born in 1996, who specializes in the 100 and 200 meters.
In the world of music, Ajla Čengić is a Bosnian singer and songwriter born in 1991, known for her contributions to the Sevdah genre. Ajla Šemić, born in 1991, is a Bosnian model and beauty queen who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Miss Universe 2012 pageant.
Another notable figure is Ajla Koštrić, a Bosnian handball player born in 1990, who has represented her country in numerous international competitions and has won several medals.
While the name Ajla is primarily associated with the Bosnian language and culture, it has gained some recognition and popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in neighboring countries and regions with significant Bosnian diaspora populations.
People
Ajla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ajla 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
Ajla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ajla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 802 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ajla 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 427,374 US residents.
Is Ajla a common name?
We classify Ajla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 811 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ajla most popular?
The single biggest year for Ajla was 2002, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ajla is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ajla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ajla 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.