Ayla 3

Revision History

loadingDate    Editor    Change Summary
1/21/2022, 9:40 PM Mike C update #111
11/16/2019, 11:04 AM Mike C update #105
1/22/2019, 10:01 AM Mike C update #101
2/12/2007, 1:03 AM Mike C earliest recorded revision

Gender Feminine
Usage Literature, English (Modern)
Pronounced Pron. /ˈeɪ.lə/(English)

Meaning & History

Created for the novel Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) by author Jean M. Auel. In the novel Ayla is an orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted by Neanderthals. Ayla is the Neanderthal pronunciation of her real name, which is not given.

This name entered the American popularity charts after the release of the movie adaptation of the novel in 1986. Its continuing popularity is likely due to the fact that it contains the trendy phonetic elements ay and la.