Mila
Say it: MEE-la
GirlMeans gracious, dear4 letters2 syllables
#80
in Ireland (2025)
#84 with spellings combined
61
babies in 2025
#58
best rank (2022)
1,040
babies since 2002
Up 4
10-year rank change
Mila through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 61 | #84 |
| 2024 | 74 | #72 |
| 2023 | 91 | #63 |
| 2022 | 92 | #58 |
| 2021 | 91 | #66 |
| 2020 | 79 | #67 |
| 2019 | 81 | #72 |
| 2018 | 97 | #67 |
| 2017 | 58 | #104 |
| 2016 | 70 | #84 |
| 2015 | 72 | #88 |
| 2014 | 41 | #142 |
| 2013 | 47 | #131 |
| 2012 | 28 | #199 |
| 2011 | 22 | #240 |
| 2010 | 7 | #556 |
| 2009 | 6 | #583 |
| 2008 | 6 | #599 |
| 2007 | 3 | #841 |
| 2006 | 3 | #763 |
| 2005 | 4 | #588 |
| 2004 | 4 | #576 |
| 2002 | 3 | #620 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Mila mean?
Gracious, dear
Slavic, a short form of names containing mil (gracious, dear), such as Ludmila and Milena.
Say it right
MEEla
The story of Mila
Mila began as a pet form in the Slavic languages, used for names that contain the element mil, meaning gracious or dear. Ludmila and Milena are two examples. In Spanish it is also used as a short form of Milagros, which means miracles.
Today it is given as a name in its own right across Europe and the English-speaking world.
In Ireland, Mila first reached the CSO list in 2002 and grew quickly in the 2010s. The most babies came in 2018, with 97 girls, and its best rank was number 58 in 2022. The CSO counts the spelling Míla separately, though only a handful of babies have had it. In Northern Ireland its best place was 72nd, in 2018.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Mila (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Mila (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Mila | 61 | 1,033 |
| Míla | under 3 | 7 |
In Northern Ireland
#132 in 2025 with 15 babies. Best rank #72 (2018); 272 babies since 2011.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.