Jakayla
A girl's name with 6,799 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
When Jakayla hit its peak of 451 births in 2008, the internet was beginning to expose parents to a wider world of naming options, and pop culture influence on baby names was at an all-time high.
Jakayla has carried that momentum forward and remains a live choice today.
In the most recent SSA release, Jakayla ranks #3839 among U.S. girl names — distinctive enough to stand out.
Jakayla is a girl's baby name of American origin, a creative combination of 'Ja-' prefix and Kayla, where Kayla derives from the Hebrew Kelilah meaning 'crown of laurels' or 'pure.' The 'Ja-' prefix adds a musical opening syllable that became popular in American naming in the 1980s-90s.
The Ja- prefix (as in Jasmine, Janelle, Jada) has been a productive naming element in African American creative naming traditions. Jakayla takes the popular Kayla and launches it with that energetic opening, creating a three-syllable name with an upbeat, confident rhythm.
EtymologyShow more
Jakayla is built from 7 letters and three syllables — a mid-length form that balances memorability with distinctiveness.
The interplay of consonants and vowels in Jakayla creates its characteristic open, warm quality. Multi-syllable names often carry remnants of compound constructions — two or more meaningful elements fused together — even when the original components are no longer transparent to modern speakers.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Jakayla was #760 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #3839, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 371 | #2567 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 2,190 | #1224 | ▼ |
| 2000s | 3,482 | #770 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 742 | #3073 | ▲ |
| 1980s | 14 | #9961 | — |
The Story of Jakayla
A Gen Z name
Peaking in 2008, Jakayla is a name that defines a generation. Girls named Jakayla are most likely born between 1998 and 2018.
How rare is Jakayla?
Only about 1 in every 92,308 babies born in 2024 was named Jakayla — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1988, peaked in the 2000s with 3,482 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Jakayla by the numbers
- Would fill 142 school buses
- Meeting one Jakayla per day would take 18.6 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(37 years, 1988–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 39 | #3839 |
| 2023 | 77 | #2361 |
| 2022 | 78 | #2369 |
| 2021 | 79 | #2317 |
| 2020 | 98 | #1950 |
| 2019 | 113 | #1808 |
| 2018 | 119 | #1730 |
| 2017 | 164 | #1403 |
| 2016 | 212 | #1179 |
| 2015 | 172 | #1377 |
| 2014 | 245 | #1060 |
| 2013 | 216 | #1122 |
| 2012 | 274 | #935 |
| 2011 | 298 | #880 |
| 2010 | 377 | #741 |
| 2009 | 434 | #671 |
| 2008 | 451 | #676 |
| 2007 | 415 | #702 |
| 2006 | 384 | #731 |
| 2005 | 387 | #705 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jakayla a boy's or girl's name?
When was Jakayla most popular?
How popular is the name Jakayla?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1988–2024