Baila
A Spanish name meaning "dance" or "to dance".
Name Census estimates that about 3,207 living Americans carry the first name Baila. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Baila today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Baila births was 2024 (155 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Baila. 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
- • Baila is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 17 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
3.2K
~ 1 in 106,877 Americans
Peak year
2024
155 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,427
Tracked since 1955
Popularity
Baila: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Baila from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,119 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Baila remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Baila 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 Baila during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bailas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, Maryland recorded the most babies named Baila, while Maryland, New Jersey, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 965 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Baila
The name Baila is of Hebrew origin, derived from the Hebrew word "bailah," which means "mistress" or "lady." It is believed to have originated during the biblical era, around the first millennium BCE.
In the Old Testament, the name Baila is not explicitly mentioned. However, it shares a linguistic root with the Hebrew word "baal," which means "master" or "possessor." This connection suggests that the name Baila may have been used to refer to women of high social status or authority.
The earliest recorded use of the name Baila can be traced back to the Middle Ages, particularly in Jewish communities across Europe and the Middle East. During this time, variations of the name, such as Bayla and Baila, were commonly used.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Baila was Baila bat Shlomo, a 13th-century Jewish scholar and philosopher from Catalonia, Spain. She was renowned for her expertise in religious law and her contributions to the study of the Talmud.
Another notable figure was Baila ben Asher, a 14th-century rabbi and scribe from Germany. He was known for his meticulous work in copying and preserving sacred Hebrew texts, ensuring their accurate transmission to future generations.
In the 16th century, Baila Simonovna was a prominent Jewish woman in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. She was a successful businesswoman and philanthropist, known for her support of Jewish education and charitable initiatives.
During the 18th century, Baila Pereira was a renowned Dutch-Jewish writer and poet. Her works explored themes of religious identity, cultural heritage, and the struggles faced by Jewish communities in Europe.
In the 19th century, Baila Bayla Rivka Eisenstadt was a respected Hasidic rabbi and scholar from Ukraine. She was known for her depth of knowledge in Jewish mysticism and her leadership within the Hasidic community.
While the name Baila has its roots in Hebrew and Jewish culture, it has gained broader recognition and usage across various communities and regions over time. Its enduring presence throughout history reflects its rich cultural significance and the diverse individuals who have carried this name.
People
Baila + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Baila as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Baila: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Baila?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,207 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Baila 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 106,877 US residents.
Is Baila a common name?
We classify Baila as "Rare". It ranks above 95.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,268 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Baila most popular?
The single biggest year for Baila was 2024, when 155 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Baila is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Baila a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Baila 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.