Declining since 1998, #4,546 for girls today.
Popularity of Cayla since 1956
Babies named Cayla per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 7 |
| 1960s | 26 |
| 1970s | 74 |
| 1980s | 1,486 |
| 1990s | 4,359 |
| 2000s | 3,292 |
| 2010s | 1,365 |
| 2020s | 244 |
Meaning & origin
Cayla first appeared in U.S. records in 1956, but its popularity surged in the 1990s, reaching its peak in 1999. Since 1998, its usage has been steadily declining. In 2025, it ranked 4546th, with only about 1 in 53576 girls receiving the name. The variant spelling with a 'C' was most common in Florida and California during its peak years. Like many modern invented spellings, Cayla represents a desire to personalize a familiar sound while maintaining the phonetic appeal of its root name, Kayla.
Cayla is a modern English spelling variant of Kayla, itself a form of Michaela, the feminine version of Michael. Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha'el, meaning 'who is like God?' The name Kayla emerged in the United States during the late 20th century, influenced by the popularity of names like Kayla and Katelyn. Cayla specifically saw a peak in the 1990s and early 2000s, reflecting a trend toward creative spellings of fashionable names.
Where Cayla is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Cayla” around the world
Where Cayla lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Cay, Cay-Cay
Sibling names for Cayla
Names that share Cayla's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Cayla
Names whose popularity has moved with Cayla's over the last 50 years.
