Kyla is the feminine form of Kyle, a Scottish surname and place name from the Gaelic caol, which means "narrow strait" or "channel"; it is also used as a short form of Michaela. It caught on in the United States in the 1990s together with Kayla and Kylie. Kyla ranked number 235 in 2000, peaked at number 162 in 2004 and has eased to number 580 among girls' names in 2025.