Isla
Girl name · #28 in 2025 · Very well-known
Isla is currently the #28 girl name in the United States — 6,012 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #142, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 299 girls born in 2025 was named Isla.
Babies named Isla per year. Source: SSA.
The 139-year story
Isla first appears in the Social Security records in 1886, when 7 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 6,012 babies and a rank of #28. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Isla against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Isla in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Isla is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Isla is most common
Geography matters for names, and Isla is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Isla is most common in HI (19 per 1,000), VT (15 per 1,000), RI (13 per 1,000), NH (13 per 1,000), MT (11 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 4.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Isla is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Isla
Statistically, parents drawn to Isla tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Luna, Mila, Nora, Ayla, and Ivy.
LunaMilaNoraAylaIvyNovaAriaCamila
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Isla | 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 | #1357 |
| 2006 | 92 | #2107 |
| 2005 | 54 | #2969 |
| 2004 | 35 | #3989 |
| 2003 | 38 | #3655 |
| 2002 | 29 | #4280 |
| 2001 | 24 | #4834 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Isla a popular girl name?
Isla ranked #28 among girls in 2025 with 6,012 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #142.
When was the name Isla most popular?
Isla peaked in 2025, when 6,012 American girls received the name (ranked #28 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Isla?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 299 newborn American girls was named Isla. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.