Isla
Meaning
variant of Islay, the Scottish island name; its spelling also matches Spanish isla, "island"
Say it: EYE-la (the s is silent)
The story
Isla is a Scottish variant of Islay, the name of the island off Scotland's west coast. Its spelling happens to match the Spanish word isla, island, but Spanish pronounces that word differently and the resemblance is not the Scottish name's derivation. That small distinction turns a tempting one-word meaning into a more interesting place-name story. Isla spread outward from Scotland and became a major English-speaking favorite in the 2010s and 2020s. The US curve reflects the same recent movement: almost nothing before the 2000s, a sharp climb in the 2010s, and a new high in the 2020s. Isla feels like a nature word to many readers, yet its strongest historical anchor is a particular island and its name, Islay. It is both geographically specific and remarkably portable.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Isla peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
4,575 people · the #2,922 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 43,478 · median age 18
Among people named Isla living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2000s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 632 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Isla
Most people given the name Isla in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Isla deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Isla truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Isla fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Isla travels
British and London · island (from the Scottish river Isla / Isle of Islay)
Global crossover · island (from the Scottish river Isla); a top-10 name in Scotland and Australia and one of the fastest-rising names in the US
Keep exploring
Names like Isla · Middle names for Isla · British and London baby names · Global crossover names · Short names
Does Isla fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Isla to your family’s tree →