Kayla is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning "vigilant" or "watchful". It is derived from the male name Caleb, which also means "vigilant" in Hebrew. The name Kayla has gained popularity in recent years and has been widely used as both a given name for girls and a surname.
The name Kayla first appeared in the United States in the late 19th century but it was not until the mid-20th century that it began to gain widespread use. It became particularly popular in the 1980s and 1990s, reaching its peak popularity in the United States in 1995 when it ranked as the 47th most popular name for girls.
Kayla is a name that has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. For example, Kayla Itsines is an Australian personal trainer and founder of the Bikini Body Guide fitness program, while Kayla Harrison is an American judoka who won two gold medals at the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016.
Overall, Kayla is a name with a strong Hebrew heritage that has gained popularity in recent years due to its meaning and sound. It is a name that continues to be widely used today, both as a given name for girls and as a surname.
The name Kayla was quite rare until the late 1970s, with fewer than 10 births per year from 1933 to 1980. It started gaining popularity in the early 1980s, reaching over 100 births annually by 1982 and peaking at nearly 4,000 births in 1990. Since then, its usage has declined significantly, with only 951 births recorded in 2023. Overall, the name Kayla has been given to approximately 344,772 babies over the past century.