Aila is from the Finnish Aila — variant of Aili / Helga — from Old Norse heilagr (holy, blessed); also Finnish Sami aila (dawn). A modern American baby name in the broader Finnish-Sami heritage aesthetic. Aila is one of the foundational Finnish + Sami feminine names. Notable bearer: Aila Meriluoto (1924-2019) — foundational Finnish poet + Finlandia Prize 2018 lifetime achievement + author of foundational Lasimaalaus (The Stained Glass Window, 1946, debut at age 22 — foundational post-war Finnish-language poetry collection); Aila Talvi — foundational Finnish actress + Finnish National Theatre figure. Foundational Finnish + Sami feminine name reflecting Finnic-Lappish heritage + the foundational Finnish post-war literary renaissance + Sami Indigenous Northern European naming tradition.
Featured throughout Finnish heritage.
Aila reduces to five.