Girl · #35 in 2026

Mila

Mila is a feminine Slavic name originating from Central or Eastern Europe. It is a diminutive of Slavic names beginning or ending with Mila which derived from the element Mil (Мил) meaning "gracious" or "dear". It is also used among the Spanish as a short-hand for Milagros, meaning "miracles".

  • Serbian
  • Croatian
  • Bulgarian
  • Macedonian
Current Rank
#35
Peak Rank
#14 (2018)
Total Babies
91K
5-Yr Trend
-17%
1881
First Year
2026
Last Year
2018
Peak Year
#14
Peak Rank
91K
Total Count
125
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Mila

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Mila is a feminine Slavic name originating from Central or Eastern Europe. It is a diminutive of Slavic names beginning or ending with Mila which derived from the element Mil (Мил) meaning "gracious" or "dear". It is also used among the Spanish as a short-hand for Milagros, meaning "miracles".

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Serbian
  • Croatian
  • Bulgarian
  • Macedonian
  • Slovene
  • Ukrainian
  • Russian
  • Czech

The Story of Mila

American parents first put Mila on the record books as a baby girl name in 1881, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 8,167 Milas were born — ranking #14 that year. About 49% of every Mila on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Mila ranks #35 for baby girls with 5,365 births, falling sharply (-17%). All told, over 91K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Mila

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Mila. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Notable people named Mila

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Mila D. Aguilar (1949–2023), Filipina poet
  • Milla Grosberghaugen Andreassen (born 2005), Norwegian cross-country skier
  • Mila Gojsalić (died 1530), Croatian folk heroine
  • Mila Guy (born 1992), South African actress and costume designer
  • Mila Haugová (born 1942), Slovak poet
  • Mila Hermanovski (born 1969), American costume designer and fashion designer
  • Mila Holloway (born 2006), American basketball player
  • Mila Horvat (born 1981), Croatian television host

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Mila

Phonetically similar names — useful when Mila is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mila

What does the name Mila mean?
Mila is a feminine Slavic name originating from Central or Eastern Europe. It is a diminutive of Slavic names beginning or ending with Mila which derived from the element Mil (Мил) meaning "gracious" or "dear". It is also used among the Spanish as a short-hand for Milagros, meaning "miracles".
What is the origin of the name Mila?
Mila has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Ukrainian, Russian, Czech.
How popular is Mila in 2026?
In 2026, Mila ranks #35 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5,365 babies given the name that year.
When was Mila most popular?
Mila reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #14 that year with 8,167 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Mila most popular?
Mila has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Mila.
Is Mila a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Mila is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Mila?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Mila include Martha, Nellie, Rose. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Mila?
Common variants and related forms of Mila include Milana, Milena, Mileva, Milica. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Mila

Mila is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1881 and has accumulated 91K births in the dataset. Mila's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #14. Use the chart and map above to compare Mila's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.