Kayla is a modern American name that is usually read as a form of Kayley or a short form of Michaela, which gives it the meaning "who is like God"; it is also sometimes linked to the Hebrew Kelila, "crown of laurel". It exploded in popularity after a character named Kayla appeared on the soap opera Days of Our Lives in the 1980s. Kayla ranked number 13 in the United States in 2000, its peak this century, and has declined gradually to number 364 in 2025.