When I came across this name in my baby name book, I was immediately drawn to it. Its meaning is lovely and the sound is really appealing. It hits the same buttons as names like Maya, Mia, or even Kayla, but Myla is much more unusual.
Errrmm...at least, it was unusual when I first wrote about it in 2008! Back then, Myla was just beginning to catch on. In 2006, it was number 912 in the U.S., barely on the map, while Maya, for example, was number 57 that same year.
I loved Myla's simplicity, and I had a feeling other parents would love it, too.
Meaning & Origins
Myla is an interesting name because its origins aren't entirely clear. It's often considered a feminine form of Milo or a variation of Mila, but those explanations lead us down slightly different paths.
Mila has roots in Slavic languages, where the element mil- means "dear" or "gracious." It's traditionally used as a short form of names such as Milena and Ludmila. Since the i has a short sound, (think mill) some tend to discredit this origin.
Milo has a more complicated history, with possible connections to Germanic and Slavic names. Its meaning is debated, although it is sometimes associated with the same Slavic element. Some sources tie it in with Miles, and then trace that to Michael, and even though Michael means "who is like God?" it also can be associated with the Latin, which means "soldier." (Are you dizzy yet?)
So while Myla is occasionally given meanings such as "merciful," "gracious," "who is like God?" or even "soldier," there isn't one universally accepted meaning for the name.
I still think all the possibilities are lovely, though. And sometimes a name's sound is just as appealing as its meaning.
A Name That Sounds Familiar
One of the things I liked about Myla from the beginning was how naturally it fit alongside other fashionable names. It has the long-I sound of Maya, the lilting rhythm of Lila, and the simplicity of Mila. There's also something of Kayla and Kyla in its sound, and perhaps even a little of Mia.
Put those qualities together, and Myla feels both fresh and familiar.
Even before I found it jumping out at me from the pages of my name book, I saw one reference to this name that I was barely aware of. Myla Goldberg is the author of Bee Season, a book I happen to own. Her novel became a bestseller when it was published in 2000, and five years later it was made into a movie starring Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche.
When I originally wrote this article, I wondered whether the author's success might have helped introduce Myla to more parents. But maybe a more convincing reason was that Miley Cyrus's show, Hannah Montana, debuted in 2006, and the sound of her name was starting to catch on.
Of course, neither connection proves that parents were choosing Myla because of a particular celebrity. But it's interesting to consider how pop culture can make certain sounds feel more familiar. And Myla certainly had a lot of fashionable sounds working in its favor.
Popularity: A Prediction Revisited
In September 2015, I returned to this article with an update:
Myla has taken a huge leap in popularity since this post was originally written in 2008. It is currently ranked at #371 and I do expect it to climb a bit more over the next couple of years, particularly as parents look for an alternative to Miley.
As it turns out, Myla had quite a bit more climbing to do! The name continued its rise throughout the following decade, reaching #284 in 2018 and #278 in 2020. By 2023, Myla had climbed to #183, its highest ranking to date.
The name has cooled slightly since then, ranking #210 in 2025, when 1,436 American girls received the name. That's a remarkable change from 2006, when Myla was barely hanging on to a place in the Top 1,000.
What's especially interesting is that Myla's rise happened alongside the growing popularity of several similar-sounding names. Mila became a major favorite, while names like Maya, Mya, Lila, and Lyla helped establish a broader taste for short, feminine names with open vowel sounds. Myla fits comfortably into that group, but it has its own personality.
And while I originally wondered whether Miley Cyrus might help propel the name upward, I suspect Myla's lasting appeal has more to do with the way its sound fits so naturally into modern naming trends.
Famous Mylas
Myla Goldberg: American novelist and author of Bee Season, published in 2000.
Myla Dalbesio: American model, artist, and writer.
Although Myla isn't associated with a long list of celebrities, its use by women born well before the name's recent rise is a reminder that it isn't entirely new.
The Appeal of Myla
It's clear that this name had some potential to become more popular, whether parents were motivated by pop culture, similar names, the sound, or the meaning. And that's exactly what happened.
Myla may no longer be the undiscovered choice it was when I first encountered it, but I think it has retained much of its original charm. It's short and sweet without feeling childish, feminine without being elaborate, and familiar without being overwhelmingly popular.
I loved its simplicity back in 2008, and I still do.
What do you think of Myla? Do you prefer it to similar names like Mila, Maya, or Lyla?
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