Isla
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- EYE-la
- Origin
- Scottish
- UK rank, 2025
- #4 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #28 for girls
Isla is a girls' name of Scottish origin. In 2025 it ranked 4th for girls in the UK (2,309 babies) and 28th for girls in the US (6,012 babies).
What does Isla mean?
Scottish: from the island of Islay and the River Isla
Taken from Islay, the Hebridean island famous for its whisky, and the River Isla in Scotland.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Isla a girl's or a boy's name?
Isla is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 2,309 girls in the UK and 6,012 girls and 7 boys in the US.
How popular is Isla in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #4among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 2,309about 1 in 120 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 27% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 11%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 2,309 girls in the UK were named Isla, making it the 4th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3rd. Its busiest year was 2014, with 4,574 girls.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 11 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Isla than any year since 2009.
Half of all the girls named Isla in the UK since 1996 were born between 2012 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among girls in 2025, it was 4th in England and Wales, 2nd in Scotland and 4th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2014 (#3) and 2024 (#4).
Isla in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,309 | #4 |
| 2024 | 2,411 | #4 |
| 2023 | 2,758 | #3 |
| 2022 | 3,027 | #3 |
| 2021 | 3,138 | #3 |
| 2020 | 3,240 | #3 |
| 2019 | 3,492 | #3 |
| 2018 | 3,564 | #3 |
| 2017 | 3,921 | #3 |
| 2016 | 3,995 | #4 |
| 2015 | 4,014 | #4 |
| 2014 | 4,574 | #4 |
| 2013 | 4,028 | #6 |
| 2012 | 3,990 | #8 |
| 2011 | 3,270 | #14 |
| 2010 | 2,858 | #19 |
| 2009 | 2,299 | #27 |
| 2008 | 1,955 | #36 |
| 2007 | 1,229 | #58 |
| 2006 | 798 | #83 |
| 2005 | 617 | #95 |
| 2004 | 490 | #123 |
| 2003 | 366 | #152 |
| 2002 | 239 | #199 |
| 2001 | 186 | #247 |
| 2000 | 201 | #237 |
| 1999 | 208 | #231 |
| 1998 | 168 | #268 |
| 1997 | 128 | #316 |
| 1996 | 146 | #276 |
How popular is Isla in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #28among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 6,012about 1 in 270 girls
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 39% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 5.1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 6,012 girls in the US were named Isla, making it the 28th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 44th. It first appears in the records in 1886. 7 boys were also named Isla in 2025 (9,710th for boys).
2025 had the most girls named Isla of any year since it first appeared, in 1886.
Half of all the girls named Isla in the US since 1880 were born between 2016 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 6,752 girls in the US were given Isla or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #27, up from #28 for this spelling alone.
Isla in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,012 | #28 |
| 2024 | 5,382 | #35 |
| 2023 | 5,386 | #33 |
| 2022 | 5,285 | #36 |
| 2021 | 5,542 | #33 |
| 2020 | 4,579 | #44 |
| 2019 | 4,043 | #57 |
| 2018 | 3,410 | #82 |
| 2017 | 2,879 | #103 |
| 2016 | 2,521 | #127 |
| 2015 | 2,272 | #142 |
| 2014 | 2,135 | #151 |
| 2013 | 1,912 | #167 |
| 2012 | 1,385 | #230 |
| 2011 | 1,208 | #268 |
| 2010 | 1,099 | #297 |
| 2009 | 945 | #345 |
| 2008 | 493 | #623 |
| 2007 | 178 | #1,357 |
| 2006 | 92 | #2,107 |
| 2005 | 54 | #2,965 |
| 2004 | 35 | #3,985 |
| 2003 | 38 | #3,651 |
| 2002 | 29 | #4,276 |
| 2001 | 24 | #4,829 |
| 2000 | 37 | #3,522 |
| 1999 | 18 | #5,655 |
| 1998 | 25 | #4,363 |
| 1997 | 23 | #4,505 |
| 1996 | 13 | #6,718 |
| 1995 | 16 | #5,672 |
| 1994 | 15 | #5,978 |
| 1993 | 7 | #10,581 |
| 1992 | 8 | #9,483 |
| 1991 | 10 | #7,980 |
| 1990 | 9 | #8,495 |
| 1989 | 7 | #9,675 |
| 1988 | 8 | #8,386 |
| 1987 | 8 | #7,982 |
| 1986 | 5 | #10,907 |
| 1985 | 11 | #6,029 |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 5 | #10,272 |
| 1982 | 6 | #9,235 |
| 1981 | 5 | #10,409 |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 5 | #10,208 |
| 1978 | 10 | #5,957 |
| 1977 | 6 | #8,442 |
| 1976 | 5 | #9,282 |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 5 | #6,538 |
| 1964 | 5 | #6,766 |
| 1963 | 5 | #6,591 |
| 1962 | 5 | #6,577 |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 7 | #4,594 |
| 1952 | 8 | #4,122 |
| 1951 | 9 | #3,713 |
| 1950 | 9 | #3,660 |
| 1949 | 7 | #4,234 |
| 1948 | 10 | #3,349 |
| 1947 | 8 | #4,005 |
| 1946 | 5 | #4,958 |
| 1945 | 8 | #3,386 |
| 1944 | 14 | #2,400 |
| 1943 | 9 | #3,248 |
| 1942 | 7 | #3,736 |
| 1941 | 17 | #2,018 |
| 1940 | 10 | #2,736 |
| 1939 | 15 | #2,125 |
| 1938 | 12 | #2,447 |
| 1937 | 15 | #2,101 |
| 1936 | 24 | #1,507 |
| 1935 | 19 | #1,779 |
| 1934 | 12 | #2,423 |
| 1933 | 21 | #1,658 |
| 1932 | 21 | #1,684 |
| 1931 | 20 | #1,749 |
| 1930 | 23 | #1,660 |
| 1929 | 25 | #1,554 |
| 1928 | 26 | #1,588 |
| 1927 | 20 | #1,934 |
| 1926 | 27 | #1,588 |
| 1925 | 25 | #1,699 |
| 1924 | 22 | #1,871 |
| 1923 | 34 | #1,350 |
| 1922 | 41 | #1,207 |
| 1921 | 26 | #1,668 |
| 1920 | 23 | #1,751 |
| 1919 | 31 | #1,393 |
| 1918 | 34 | #1,299 |
| 1917 | 34 | #1,241 |
| 1916 | 35 | #1,210 |
| 1915 | 22 | #1,571 |
| 1914 | 25 | #1,228 |
| 1913 | 22 | #1,176 |
| 1912 | 16 | #1,352 |
| 1911 | 11 | #1,450 |
| 1910 | 14 | #1,207 |
| 1909 | 9 | #1,471 |
| 1908 | 18 | #939 |
| 1907 | 12 | #1,142 |
| 1906 | 11 | #1,154 |
| 1905 | 16 | #926 |
| 1904 | 9 | #1,250 |
| 1903 | 6 | #1,592 |
| 1902 | 9 | #1,219 |
| 1901 | 9 | #1,136 |
| 1900 | 13 | #1,052 |
| 1899 | 6 | #1,393 |
| 1898 | 12 | #1,009 |
| 1897 | 5 | #1,554 |
| 1896 | 7 | #1,292 |
| 1895 | 8 | #1,202 |
| 1894 | 6 | #1,352 |
| 1893 | 7 | #1,175 |
| 1892 | 6 | #1,278 |
| 1891 | 7 | #1,093 |
| 1890 | 10 | #872 |
| 1889 | 5 | #1,278 |
| 1888 | 0 | – |
| 1887 | 11 | #693 |
| 1886 | 7 | #897 |
Names like Isla
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ava Isabella Freya Arabella Mila Lyla Willow Zara Ivy Harper Bella Lily
Other spellings of Isla
Names related to Isla
More Scottish names
Finley Logan Cameron Bonnie Paisley Brody Carson Maxwell Brodie Finlay Blair Lennox Skye Knox Dallas Lochlan
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Isla: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/isla, updated 20 October 2026.