Khaila Name Meaning & Historical Trends

Khaila

Pronunciation: KAY-luh / KHAY-luh

Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#11,438
TREND
1,492

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Khaila in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Khaila

  • 451 babies named Khaila: U.S. records list 451 babies given the name Khaila from 1880 through 2025.

What Does the Name Khaila Mean?

Khaila is an uncommon spelling of the name Kaila, which is itself a variant of Kayla. Because the spelling does not point to a single source, its meaning depends on which derivation of Kayla is accepted, and none of those derivations is firmly documented for the Kh- form itself.

One common explanation traces the name to the Irish Gaelic Cadhla, an old personal name usually translated as "slender" or "fair." Another explanation links Kaila and Kayla to the Hebrew Kelila, understood as "crown" or "laurel wreath." These are separate derivations rather than stages of one line, and the Hebrew Kelila is also a name in its own right, not simply an earlier form of Kayla.

The digraph kh adds a further complication. In transliterations from Arabic, Persian, and Urdu it represents a guttural sound that plain k does not, so a name written Khaila in those writing systems is not automatically the same name as English Kaila. Taken together, the evidence supports only a cautious statement of meaning.

Khaila Name History & Origins

Cadhla is an old Irish personal name, anglicized in various ways over the centuries. The feminine forms Kayla and Kaila became current as given names in English-speaking countries, where Kaila established itself as a recognized variant spelling.

The Kh- spelling has its own background. In languages that write Arabic, Persian, or Urdu, kh marks a guttural fricative, and transliterated names using it often preserve a sound that English k would lose. In English-speaking countries, Khaila appears chiefly as an alternative spelling of Kaila or Kayla. Because the spelling is uncommon and occurs in more than one language community, there is no single documented first use or line of descent for it.

Khaila is distinct from the Arabic Khalila, a feminine form of khalīl ("friend"), despite the shared opening letters.

How Popular is the Name Khaila?

Khaila has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1996. Its best rank was #1,800 in 1996.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Khaila Shapes Your Personality and Life?

EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.

✦ Khaila's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Khaila's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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