Gayla

A girls’ name of Old French origin, meaning cheerful; a feminine form of Gay.

Babies a year
—
no recent records
Rarity
—
among names in use
US popularity
—
outside the top 1000
UK popularity
—
outside the ONS list

Gayla by the numbers

Its American peak was 618 babies in 1954, making it a 1950s name.

Other names that come from Gay

Like Gayla, each of these traces back to Gay: a form of it, a name built from it, or a son or daughter of it. Not always the same sex.

  • Gaycheerful, lighthearted, bright
  • Gayecheerful; a spelling variant of Gay
  • Gaylenecheerful; a feminine form of Gay with -ene suffix
  • Gaynellcheerful; a feminine form of Gay with -nell suffix

Spelled almost the same

Other names in the records within a letter or two of Gayla. Close spellings are not always related names, but they are usually worth seeing together.

  • Galafestive; a celebration; from Galas50 in the US (2017)
  • Gayasong or earth3 in England and Wales (2025)
  • Galiawave of god; a form of Galit23 in the US (2017)
  • Galyagod is my strength; a form of Galit3 in England and Wales (2025)
  • Gable12 in the US (2017)
  • Ghala9 in the US (2017)

Other names that mean joy

Like Gayla, each of these has joy in its meaning. Different names, different histories, the same idea.

  • Abigailmy father's joy10,557 in the US (2017)
  • Asherhappy, blessed6,076 in the US (2017)
  • Edendelight, paradise594 in England and Wales (2025)
  • Jocelyncheerful or joyful; from Jocundus1,828 in the US (2017)
  • Tatumcheerful or bringer of joy1,159 in the US (2017)
  • Joyjoy; gladness and pleasure971 in the US (2017)

Names about as common as Gayla

Nobody has voted for Gayla yet

Vote for Gayla and put it up against all the other baby names

Vote for Gayla