Baby Names Isla Name Meaning By Meena Azzollini Meena Azzollini Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Meena Azzollini is a health and wellness content creator with experience covering parenting, women's health, and mental health. She specializes in creating effective content for various health and wellness-based businesses and empowers them with words that make a connection with their audience. Learn about our editorial process Published on October 22, 2021 Fact checked Verywell Family content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Aaron Johnson Fact checked by Aaron Johnson Aaron Johnson is a fact checker and expert on qualitative research design and methodology. Learn about our editorial process Print Everste / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents What Does Isla Mean? How Popular Is the Name Isla? Similar Names Common Nicknames Suggested Sibling Names Famous People Named Isla What Does Isla Mean? Although the word Isla has no known origin, it is traditionally a Scottish name derived from ”Islay,” a name of a Scottish island, also known as “the Queen of Hebrides.” There is a legend related to the name of the island, Islay. According to Peggy Earl, author of "Tales of Islay: Fact and Folklore," it is said that a Danish Princess called Iula or Yula left Denmark with an apron full of stones of different sizes. On her journey, the stones fell out to form Ireland and many islands between Ireland and Scotland. And perhaps Islay got its name from this princess. Isla is also the name of two rivers in Scotland. The name also has Spanish origins, as the word Isla means “island” in Spanish. Origin: Isla is a Scottish name derived from the name of an island. It is also a Spanish name meaning "Island."Gender: Isla is commonly used as a girl name.Pronunciation: eye-la Although many baby names are separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best. How Popular Is the Name Isla? The original form of the name was “Ilay” or “Islay,” which were masculine names, and rarely used for girls. Today the name Isla is extremely popular for girls not only in Scotland, England, and Wales, but also in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. Isla was first featured in the Top 1,000 popular names in the U.S. in 1905, according to the latest Social Security Administration 2020 data. But it gained the most popularity in the last 10 years, featuring at No. 297 in 2010 and entering the Top 200 names for girls in 2013. Since then, the name has been climbing the ranks reaching the Top 100 popular names in 2018, with 2020 being its most popular year when it ranked at No. 44. The name Isla is more popular than its other variations, “Ila” or “Iyla.” Similar Names Similar sounding names to Isla: Amelia Arya Ava Ayla Cora Eira Ella Layla Luna Mila Talia Willa Other Scottish names: AileenAlisonAnnabelAnsleyBonnie CatrionaDavinaElsaFionaIonaKirstyKylieLaineyLeanaLornaMaisieMakennaPaisleyRorySkye Other names starting with I: Ila Imogen Inaaya Inara India Indigo Ira Irene Iris Isabella Ishani Ivana Ivanka Ivy Izzi Common Nicknames Common nicknames for Isla include: IsaIslesIssieIssyIzzyLala Suggested Sibling Names Looking for a sibling name for Isla? Here are some popular options: AaronAlecGemmaHugoMiloMiraNinaNolanPhoebeTessa Famous People Named Isla Some notable people who share the name Isla are: Isla Blair, an English actress and singerIsla Cameron, a Scottish-born English actressIsla Fisher, an Australian actressIsla St Clair, a Scottish singer and actressIsla Stewart, an English nurse More Baby Names Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: 50 Scottish Baby Names Top 1,000 Baby Girl Names in the U.S. 100 Spanish Baby Names 2 Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Hanks P, Hardcastle K, Hodges F. A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press; 2016. Popularity of names. Social Security Administration. By Meena Azzollini Meena Azzollini is a health and wellness content creator with experience covering parenting, women's health, and mental health. She specializes in creating effective content for various health and wellness-based businesses and empowers them with words that make a connection with their audience. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit