Ila

Meaning of Ila

Ila (pronounced EYE-luh, /aɪˈlə/) is a compact feminine given name whose etymology converges from several linguistic streams: in Sanskrit it designates the Vedic figure Ila, a divinity of earth and eloquence; in Scots Gaelic it is widely treated as a phonetic contraction of Isla, itself derived from the Hebridean island of Islay; and in early-twentieth-century American records it occasionally appears as an abbreviated form of longer names such as Delilah and Isabella. These layered origins impart connotations of fertility, articulate expression, and coastal geography, which collectively resonate with Anglo-American naming aesthetics that favor nature-linked and historically grounded choices. U.S. Social Security data confirm a long, moderate trajectory: Ila peaked near the national top 300 during the 1920s, declined to the lower 800s at the turn of the millennium, and has climbed back into the mid-500s on recent charts, a pattern consistent with contemporary preferences for succinct, vowel-forward names. Notable bearers—including trailblazing professional pitcher Ila Borders and Indian author Ila Arab Mehta—reinforce associations of understated competence and intellectual rigor. Taken together, Ila presents parents with a cross-cultural, century-tested option distinguished by phonetic clarity, restrained elegance, and quietly enduring appeal.

Pronunciation

English

• Pronunced as EYE-luh (/aɪˈlə/)

• Ella
• Iva
• Isla
• Lila
• Mila
• Nyla
• Ilana