Find out how popular the first name Gayla has been for the last 41 years (from 1974 to 2014) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Gayla by gender

Based on the last 41 years of data, Gayla is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2014, there were 6 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Gayla.

The history of the first name Gayla

The name Gayla is a variant of the feminine name Gail, which has its origins in the French language. The French name Gail is derived from the Germanic name Gaillard, which means "high-spirited" or "lively."

The name Gayla gained popularity in the United States during the 20th century, particularly in the mid-20th century. It is believed that the spelling Gayla emerged as an Americanized version of the French name Gail.

While there are no known historical references to the name Gayla in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the name has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Gayla is Gayla Peevey (1943-2021), an American singer and songwriter who was a member of the 1960s pop group The Osmond Brothers. Peevey co-wrote several hit songs for the group, including "One Bad Apple."

Another notable figure named Gayla was Gayla Raphel (born 1952), an American former professional tennis player. Raphel achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 12 in singles and won three singles titles on the WTA Tour.

In the field of literature, Gayla Drummond (1938-2020) was an American author and poet. She published several collections of poetry, including "The Body Remembers" and "The Flesh of My Salt."

Gayla J. Bassior (born 1949) is an American businesswoman and former chairwoman of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company. She served as Disney's chairwoman from 2004 to 2007.

Gayla Nicholson (born 1962) is an American former professional basketball player. She played in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) and was a member of the United States women's national basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Gayla was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gayla, please contact us.

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