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At a Glance: Name: Isla – Meaning: from the Scottish place name Islay/River Isla; the place name's own root is unknown – Origin: Scottish (place name) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: EYE-lah
Isla is pronounced EYE-lah and traces back to Scotland, drawn from the place name Islay and the River Isla, though the ultimate root of that place name itself is unknown. You'll often see it claimed that Isla means 'island,' echoing the Spanish word isla, but that's a popular simplification rather than the name's real origin. It's a worldly, clean, modern pick that still reads as a timeless classic.
Meaning & Origin of Isla
Meaning: From the scottish place name islay/river isla; the place name's own root is unknown.
Origin: Scottish (place name).
A common claim: Isla is very widely believed to mean 'island', often linked to the Spanish word 'isla'. Actually: This is a popular simplification — Isla actually derives from the Scottish place name Islay/River Isla, whose own root is unknown, not from the Spanish or English word for 'island'.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Isla
Phonetic: EYE-lah IPA: /ˈaɪlə/
Popularity of Isla
Isla ranked #35 in 2024 with 5,367 girls given the name, just off its peak of #33 in 2023 when 5,381 babies received it.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1886–2024.
Make Isla Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Isla, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Isla mean?
From the scottish place name islay/river isla; the place name’s own root is unknown. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Isla)
How do you pronounce Isla?
Isla is pronounced EYE-lah (IPA: /ˈaɪlə/).
Is Isla a popular name right now?
Isla is near its all-time peak (#33 in 2023), ranked #35 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1886–2024.)
📊 How popular is Isla? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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