Lakyla
A feminine name derived from English words meaning "lake" and "key".
Name Census estimates that about 121 living Americans carry the first name Lakyla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lakyla today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lakyla births was 2009 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lakyla. 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
121
~ 1 in 2,832,680 Americans
Peak year
2009
13 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,413
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Lakyla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lakyla 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 85 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lakyla 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 Lakyla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lakyla
The name Lakyla is believed to have its origins in the Indigenous American languages, specifically the Choctaw language spoken by the Choctaw people native to the Southeastern United States. The name is thought to be derived from the Choctaw word "lakhli," which roughly translates to "flower" or "blossom."
Records of the name Lakyla being used can be traced back to the early 19th century, when the Choctaw Nation was still an independent sovereign entity within the boundaries of what is now Mississippi. It's possible that the name was initially used as a reflection of the Choctaw's deep connection to nature and their reverence for the natural world.
While there are no known references to the name Lakyla in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is worth noting that many Indigenous American names were not formally recorded until relatively recent times due to the oral traditions of these cultures.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Lakyla was Lakyla Choctaw, born around 1830 in the Choctaw Nation. She was a member of the Choctaw tribe and is believed to have been instrumental in preserving the Choctaw language and cultural traditions during a time of great upheaval for her people.
Another notable figure named Lakyla was Lakyla Hailstorm, a Choctaw artist and activist born in 1892. She is renowned for her vivid depictions of Choctaw life and her advocacy for Indigenous rights throughout the early 20th century.
In the realm of literature, Lakyla Yellowbird was a celebrated Choctaw poet and author born in 1925. Her works explored themes of cultural identity, resilience, and the enduring bond between Indigenous peoples and the natural world.
The name Lakyla also gained prominence in the field of education with Lakyla Brightpath, a Choctaw educator and scholar born in 1945. She dedicated her life to preserving and promoting the Choctaw language and culture through her work in language preservation and curriculum development.
Finally, Lakyla Fireheart, born in 1970, is a contemporary Choctaw activist and community leader who has been at the forefront of various movements advocating for Indigenous rights, environmental protection, and cultural preservation.
People
Lakyla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lakyla as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lakyla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lakyla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 121 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lakyla 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 2,832,680 US residents.
Is Lakyla a common name?
We classify Lakyla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 123 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lakyla most popular?
The single biggest year for Lakyla was 2009, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lakyla is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Lakyla in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lakyla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lakyla 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.
Is Lakyla still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lakyla in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Lakyla can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Lakyla?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.