Isla
EYE-luh /ˈaɪ.lə/
Meaning of Isla
Isla is the anglicised form of the Scottish island place name — the River Isla and Islay island in Scotland, from the Gaelic word for island. In Spanish, isla simply means 'island.' As an English given name it spread from Scotland into broader use, driven primarily by Scottish actress Isla Fisher, and has risen sharply in the UK and Australia in the 2010s.
How to pronounce Isla
The s is silent — EYE-luh not IZ-luh. This catches out many non-Scottish parents.
Current popularity of Isla
Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.
| Registry | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (ONS) | 2024 | #9 |
| AU | 2024 | #3 |
| United States (SSA) | 2024 | #118 |
Cultural notes
Top-10 in the UK, Ireland and Australia while still rising in the US — one of the clearest examples of a name migrating from Scottish origin to global mainstream.
Notable bearers of Isla
Isla Fisher (actor); Islay (Scottish island, famous for whisky).
Similar names & variants
Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.
Sibling-name suggestions
Names that pair stylistically with Isla — useful as middle names or for siblings.
About this entry
Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31