Isla vs Kayla
Isla and Kaylacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #2 and Kayla #171 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2014, Isla was ranked #3 and Kayla #89 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #4 and Kayla #386 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #8 and Kayla #253 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #13 and Kayla #130 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2012, Isla was ranked #21 and Kayla #83 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Isla and Kayla over time
Isla and Kayla appear together in 4 published lists, across 84 years of shared records. Isla held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Kayla in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kayla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Isla in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Girls, Isla moved into the top 50 at #50 in 2007 as Kayla fell out of it to #51, having been #44 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2007, Isla moved ahead of Kayla in New Zealand · Girls — #47 and #44 the year before became #50 and #51.
- Longest-running competitions
Isla and Kayla were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #4 and #386.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Kayla in 2.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Kayla #98 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #4, Kayla #386.
Republic of Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 2002–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Kayla in 12.
Highest recorded here: Isla #11 in 2023, Kayla #21 in 2011.
The order changed in 2016: Isla moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #73 and #68; by 2016 that had become #53 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #13, Kayla #130.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Kayla in 8.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Kayla #40 in 2011.
The order changed in 2012: Isla moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #48 and #40; by 2012 that had become #31 and #73.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #8, Kayla #253.
New Zealand · Girls11 shared years, 2004–2014
Isla held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Kayla in 3.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Kayla #42 in 2004.
The order changed in 2007: Isla moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #47 and #44; by 2007 that had become #50 and #51.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Isla #3, Kayla #89.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Isla | Kayla |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪlə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Islay | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #130 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Isla has a recorded origin (Scottish); Kayla does not have one recorded yet.
- Isla and Kayla both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Isla; Kayla doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Isla a "high" Data Confidence level and Kayla a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Isla
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #467 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Kayla
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #68 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1986–2014
Highest recorded position: #18 among girls in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1986–2014).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #386 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls