Xyla

♀ Girl

Pronounced ZY-luh /ˈzaɪ.lə/High

Meaning: Of the forest or woodland; from the Greek xylon meaning wood or forest, with the feminine -a suffixHigh

In 30 seconds: Xyla is a modern feminine name from the Greek xylon meaning wood or forest, offering parents a nature-inspired name with a rare X-opening, two-syllable flow, and the same ZY- sound as Xylo.

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Origin HighGreek

MeaningOf the forest or woodland; from the Greek xylon meaning wood or forest, with the feminine -a suffix

U.S. rank (2025)#763 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births356 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2025

Total births (all-time)≈ 2,343

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Xyla is a modern coined name built on the ancient Greek element xylon, meaning wood or forest. The same root appears in xylophone (wood sound), xylem (plant tissue), and xylography (wood engraving). As a given name, Xyla uses the classical -a feminine ending to create a nature-inspired girls name.

Xyla is a rare modern American name that emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It belongs to the family of X-initial names that parents choose for their visual distinctiveness and the bold ZY- or Z- pronunciation. It has not yet achieved broad popularity but is appreciated for its striking appearance and meaningful roots.

Did you know? The Greek root xylon appears in scientific vocabulary as xylem, the tissue in plants that transports water up from the roots, giving Xyla an unexpected connection to botanical science and the life-giving structures inside trees.

Overall data confidence 85%

Behind the Name — Xyla — Greek etymology notesLiddell-Scott Greek Lexicon — definition of xylon as wood or forest

Variations

XyliaZylaXylah

Nicknames

XyZyla

Famous Bearers

★Xyla Foxlin (born c. 1997)
Xyla Foxlin (based in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American mechatronics engineer, entrepreneur, and YouTube creator who earned a B.S.E. from Case Western Reserve University in 2019 and built a 568,000-subscriber channel covering high-power rocketry, experimental aircraft construction, composite fabrication, and hands-on engineering education. She invented Parihug — wireless-enabled plush toys that allow separated family members to exchange real-time hugs — which was funded at 178 percent of its Kickstarter goal, and founded the nonprofit Beauty and the Bolt to lower barriers to STEM careers for women and minorities. She was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 (Class of 2026, Social Media category), received the Sloan Science Prize in Documentary in 2025, and earned the Aviation Inspiration Award from the Living Legends of Aviation in January 2026.

If you like Xyla…

Sylvia— shares the forest meaning from Latin silva, a near-synonym

Zola— same bold Z-sound opening with two-syllable feminine nature feel

Lyra— fellow rare two-syllable feminine name with classical Greek roots

Willa— same two-syllable soft-nature girls name with vintage-modern crossover

Explore names like Xyla

By themegreek nature two-syllable rare forest x-name

By meaningEarth / Nature

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Xyla mean?

Xyla means of the forest or woodland, from the Ancient Greek xylon meaning wood.

How do you pronounce Xyla?

It is said ZY-luh, two syllables with stress on the first, as the X is pronounced like Z in English.

Is Xyla a rare name?

Yes, Xyla is uncommon and belongs to the family of distinctive X-initial girls names chosen for their visual impact and nature meaning.

Is Xyla related to xylophone?

Yes, both Xyla and xylophone share the Greek root xylon meaning wood.