Kayla
Girl name · #365 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Kayla? In official American birth records, Kayla has been tracked continuously since 1933, giving it 92 years of documented American history.
Kayla is currently the #365 girl name in the United States — 838 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #115, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,148 girls born in 2025 was named Kayla.
The 92-year story
Kayla first appears in the Social Security records in 1933, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1991, when 18,545 girls were named Kayla — good for #12 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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.
Babies named Kayla per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kayla against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kayla in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kayla is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Kayla is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kayla is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Kayla is most common in NJ (1.8 per 1,000), MD (1.5 per 1,000), MA (1.1 per 1,000), NY (1 per 1,000), IN (0.8 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Kayla is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Kayla
Statistically, parents drawn to Kayla tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kyla, Bianca, Karina, Kiara, and Alyssa.
KylaBiancaKarinaKiaraAlyssaBrianaMikaylaKiana
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kayla | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 838 | #364 |
| 2024 | 935 | #336 |
| 2023 | 952 | #324 |
| 2022 | 1,133 | #279 |
| 2021 | 1,217 | #254 |
| 2020 | 1,340 | #215 |
| 2019 | 1,613 | #182 |
| 2018 | 1,892 | #149 |
| 2017 | 2,128 | #138 |
| 2016 | 2,471 | #129 |
| 2015 | 2,740 | #115 |
| 2014 | 3,012 | #101 |
| 2013 | 3,261 | #96 |
| 2012 | 3,776 | #69 |
| 2011 | 4,336 | #59 |
| 2010 | 5,060 | #49 |
| 2009 | 5,847 | #35 |
| 2008 | 6,835 | #28 |
| 2007 | 7,583 | #26 |
| 2006 | 8,226 | #26 |
| 2005 | 8,620 | #25 |
| 2004 | 9,773 | #18 |
| 2003 | 10,957 | #16 |
| 2002 | 11,310 | #19 |
| 2001 | 11,892 | #17 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Kayla?
In official American birth records, the name Kayla first appeared in 1933 (over 92 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 92 years.
Is Kayla a popular girl name?
Kayla ranked #365 among girls in 2025 with 838 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #115.
When was the name Kayla most popular?
Kayla peaked in 1991, when 18,545 American girls received the name (ranked #12 that year). Since 1991 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kayla?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,148 newborn American girls was named Kayla. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.