Ayla

Ayla has more than one naming history. In Turkish it is associated with a halo or moonlight and is pronounced EYE-luh. In Hebrew naming contexts, connections have been proposed with names for trees or a doe; these are different derivations, not additional meanings of the Turkish word. Choosing the intended cultural connection helps make the name’s meaning clearer.

There is also a literary Ayla: the heroine of Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear. That character helped establish the AY-luh pronunciation among English-speaking readers. Because both pronunciations are in use, parents may want to say the name aloud when introducing it. Ayla and Isla can sound alike in some settings, but that does not make them forms of the same name.