Show ContentsKayla History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of Kayla was Mac Cathail or Ó Cathail, while is derived from the personal name Cathal, which is generally Anglicized as Charles. Kayla is derived from the Old Irish "catu-ualos" which means "valor or powerful in battle". 1

Early Origins of the Kayla family

The surname Kayla was first found in County Kerry and Tipperary as there are at least two distinct septs of the name. The first sept from County Kerry descend from the Heremon line of kings and were known as the Cahills of Connaught. The second sept claim descent from the Ir line of kings and were located at Corkashinny, or the parish of Templemore, Tipperary. This line further branched to the eponymous Ballycahill, Tipperary. Both branches descended from O'Connors, the Kings of Connacht, specifically "Cathal," also known as Conor na Luinge Luaithe, when anglicized means "Conor, the Swifter-Sailing Ship" 2 which may elude to the seafaring coat of arms used by the family.

Early History of the Kayla family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kayla research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1654, 1796 and 1864 are included under the topic Early Kayla History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kayla Spelling Variations

Scribes and church officials, lacking today's standardized spelling rules, recorded names by how they were pronounced. This imprecise guide often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Kayla are preserved in documents of the family history. The various spellings of the name that were found include Cahill, O'Cahill, Kahill, Cawhill, Cahille, Cahil, Cahaly, Cahell, Cahel, Caughell, Kahil, Kahel, Caill, Cail and many more.

Early Notables of the Kayla family

Notable among the family name at this time was Flan O'Cahill, martyred in 938; Daniel O'Cahill, brother of Bogh O'Cahill, chief of the Clan, forfeited under the...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kayla Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kayla family

A massive wave of Irish immigrants hit North America during the 19th century. Although many early Irish immigrants made a carefully planned decision to leave left Ireland for the promise of free land, by the 1840s immigrants were fleeing a famine stricken land in desperation. The condition of Ireland during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s can be attributed to a rapidly expanding population and English imperial policies. Those Irish families that arrived in North America were essential to its rapid social, industrial, and economic development. Passenger and immigration lists have revealed a number of early Irish immigrants bearing the name Kayla: Elizabeth Cahill, a bonded passenger, who arrived in America in 1735; Thomas Cahill, an "enforced emigrant" sent to America from Ireland in 1737.


Contemporary Notables of the name Kayla (post 1700) +

  • Kayla Topp, American actress from Seattle, Washington, known for Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003), Marshmello: Paralyzed (2019) and Sorry for Your Birthday (2022)
  • Kayla Rose Maisonet, American actress, best known for her role as Georgie Diaz on the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle
  • Kayla Noelle Ewell (b. 1985), American actress, known for her roles in The Bold and the Beautiful (1987), The Demented (2013) and Fired Up! (2009)
  • Kayla Cromer, American actress, known for her work on The Right Eye (2015), Sex Sent Me to the Slammer (2015) and South of Hell (2015)
  • Kayla Martell (b. 1989), American beauty queen
  • Kayla Pulvermacher, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Dakota, 2004 3


The Kayla Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: In Domino confido
Motto Translation: I trust in the Lord.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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