Macayla
Derived from the Irish surname MacCadhla, meaning "son of battle chief."
Name Census estimates that about 2,147 living Americans carry the first name Macayla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Macayla today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Macayla births was 2000 (140 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Macayla. 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
2.1K
~ 1 in 159,643 Americans
Peak year
2000
140 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,512
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Macayla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Macayla from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 1,034 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
Macayla 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 Macayla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Macaylas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Macayla, while Oregon, Wisconsin, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 39 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Macayla
The given name Macayla is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic language, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a feminine form of the name Macail, which is derived from the Gaelic word "mac" meaning "son" and the name "Cailean" or "Caillie," meaning "bright-headed" or "fair-haired."
This name was primarily used in the Scottish Highlands and Hebrides Islands during the 12th to 16th centuries. It is thought to have been inspired by the Celtic veneration of fair hair as a symbol of beauty and youthfulness. The name Macayla was likely given to girls with light-colored hair or a radiant complexion.
While the name Macayla does not appear directly in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural heritage of the Scottish Gaelic people. The earliest recorded instances of the name are found in Scottish clan records and genealogies from the 15th and 16th centuries.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing the name Macayla was Macayla MacLeod (c. 1520-1585), a Scottish noblewoman and chieftain's wife from the Isle of Skye. Another notable figure was Macayla MacDonald (c. 1650-1720), a renowned healer and midwife from the Isle of Islay, who was renowned for her expertise in traditional Gaelic remedies and birthing practices.
In the 18th century, Macayla Cameron (1725-1799) was a Scottish poet and songwriter from Lochaber, whose works celebrated the beauty of the Highlands and the valor of the Jacobite risings. During the 19th century, Macayla MacKinnon (1845-1912) was a prominent educator and advocate for Gaelic language preservation in Nova Scotia, Canada.
More recently, Macayla MacLean (1922-2005) was a Scottish-American artist and sculptor renowned for her abstract works inspired by the rugged landscapes of the Hebrides Islands.
These examples showcase the rich history and cultural significance of the name Macayla, which has been borne by notable figures across various fields throughout the centuries.
People
Macayla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Macayla as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Macayla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Macayla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,147 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Macayla 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 159,643 US residents.
Is Macayla a common name?
We classify Macayla as "Rare". It ranks above 94% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,189 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Macayla most popular?
The single biggest year for Macayla was 2000, when 140 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Macayla is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Macayla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Macayla 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.