Khaila
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "imagination" or "dream".
Name Census estimates that about 434 living Americans carry the first name Khaila. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Khaila today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Khaila births was 1996 (82 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Khaila. 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
434
~ 1 in 789,757 Americans
Peak year
1996
82 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,930
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Khaila: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Khaila from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 242 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Khaila 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 Khaila during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Khailas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Illinois, Texas recorded the most babies named Khaila, while Louisiana, Georgia, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Khaila
The name Khaila is believed to have originated from the Arabic language. Its roots can be traced back to the word "khayala," which means "imagination" or "fantasy." This name was likely first used in the Middle East, particularly in regions with a strong Arabic cultural influence, such as the Arabian Peninsula and parts of North Africa.
One of the earliest known references to the name Khaila can be found in ancient Arabic poetry and literature. It was often used as a metaphor or a symbolic representation of creativity, inspiration, and the boundless realms of the human mind. The name's association with imagination and fantasy has given it a romantic and whimsical undertone throughout history.
In the 9th century CE, a notable figure named Khaila ibn al-Ahnaf was a prominent Arab poet and scholar from Basra, in present-day Iraq. His contributions to Arabic literature and poetry further cemented the name's literary and artistic connotations.
During the medieval period, the name Khaila gained popularity among Arab aristocracy and intellectual circles. One notable bearer of this name was Khaila bint al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, a 7th-century Arab woman known for her wisdom, intelligence, and poetic skills.
In the 12th century, a renowned Sufi mystic and philosopher, Khaila al-Dimashqi, hailing from Damascus, Syria, was renowned for his spiritual teachings and writings on the esoteric aspects of Islam.
Another historical figure bearing the name Khaila was Khaila al-Andalusi, a 14th-century Andalusian poet and scholar from the Iberian Peninsula, who made significant contributions to the literary and intellectual traditions of the region during the golden age of Islamic Spain.
While the name Khaila has deep roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has also found its way into other languages and cultures over time, albeit with varying spellings and pronunciations. Its unique and melodic sound, coupled with its rich historical and cultural associations, has made it a captivating and distinctive name choice across different eras and regions.
People
Khaila + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Khaila as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Khaila: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Khaila?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 434 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Khaila 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 789,757 US residents.
Is Khaila a common name?
We classify Khaila as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 443 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Khaila most popular?
The single biggest year for Khaila was 1996, when 82 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Khaila is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Khaila a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Khaila 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.