Shayla
Shayla is an Islamic head covering worn by some Muslim women in the presence of any male outside of their immediate family. It is different from a khimar, because it is usually wrapped and pinned. Sometimes it is worn in the form of a half niqab with part of the face still appearing.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Shayla
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Shayla is an Islamic head covering worn by some Muslim women in the presence of any male outside of their immediate family. It is different from a khimar, because it is usually wrapped and pinned. Sometimes it is worn in the form of a half niqab with part of the face still appearing.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Shayla
The earliest SSA record of Shayla as a baby girl name dates back to 1950, when 5 babies received it. 1999 was its biggest year on record, with 1,187 newborns named Shayla — #267 in the national rankings. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 31% of all recorded Shaylas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,109 among baby girl names with 92 births, falling sharply (-43%). In total, more than 31K Shaylas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Shayla
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Shayla. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Shayla
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shayla 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 Shayla
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About the name Shayla
Shayla is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1950 and has accumulated 31K births in the dataset. Shayla's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #267. Use the chart and map above to compare Shayla's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1999 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.