The name Isla comes from Scotland.
The island Islay is the southernmost island of the inner Hebrides. It is the fifth largest Scottish island and is also known as the 'Queen of the Hebrides'.
There are also two rivers called Isla in Scotland. One in Moray, north-east Scotland and one in Perthshire, central Scotland. They are thought to have possibly been named after a pre-Celtic word meaning 'rapidly moving.'
The name also has Spanish roots. In Spain it is considered to be a variation on the names Isabel and Elizabeth, which mean devoted to God.
Isla was the eighth most popular name given to baby girls in 2012.
Famous people called Isla:
Isla Fisher, actor
Isla Blair, actor
Isla Phillips, great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II
Can be shortened to: Issy
Surnames to avoid pairing Isla with:
Anything that sounds like it could be a place name, ie, If your surname is Mann, your daughter's name will be uncomfortably close to Isle of Mann.
Also approach the name Isla with caution if your surname begins with a 'la' or a 'le' sound as the combination could sound sing-songy.
Surnames beginning with an 'A' might cause problems too, as when said aloud this combination of sounds may result in elision – when two words slurred together end up sounding like one.
Similar names:
Isa, Isabel, Elizabeth, Iliana
Masculine variants:
Islay, Isaac, Ilias
Celebrities who named their baby Isla:
Paula Radcliffe, Olympic runner
Frank Lampard, footballer