Unisex name
Ala name meaning
“variegated; bearing different colours”
Ala means “variegated” or “bearing different colors” and comes from the Turkish word ala, recorded since Old Turkic. It is used for both girls and boys in Türkiye. Mottled animal coats and multicolored woven fabrics offer concrete images of the varied coloring expressed by the name.
What does Ala mean?
Variegated; bearing different colours
In Turkish: alacalı, farklı renkler taşıyan
Ala evokes a mixture of colours rather than one particular shade. The same colour element appears in Turkish animal names such as alageyik and alabalık. When circumflexes are omitted, it can be confused with Âlâ, but the two names have different linguistic origins and meanings.
Origin of the name Ala
Turkish ala is an inherited Turkic word describing mixed or varied colouring. It is distinct from Arabic-derived âlâ, meaning excellent or superior.
How to pronounce Ala
| Syllables | 2 · 3 letters · 3-letter boy names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /ala/ |
| Ottoman Turkish | آلا |
Is Ala a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Ala is used for both boys and girls. See all unisex names.
Ala does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025).
Spellings and similar names
Spellings covered by this page: Âla
Names that sound like Ala
Names with related meanings
- Defne♀Bay laurel, an aromatic evergreen tree
- Asel♀Honey, the sweet substance made by bees
- Lina♀A kind of date palm
- Eylül♀September
- Poyraz♂The cool, strong northeasterly wind
- Kuzey♂North
- Nehir♀River, large flowing stream
- Çınar♂Plane tree
- Ada♀İsland
- Ceylin♀Gazelle
- Ayaz♂Sharp dry cold under clear skies
- Doğa♀Nature
FAQ about the name Ala
What is the meaning of Ala?
Ala means “variegated; bearing different colours”. Turkish ala is an inherited Turkic word describing mixed or varied colouring. It is distinct from Arabic-derived âlâ, meaning excellent or superior.
Is Ala a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Ala is used for both boys and girls.
Is Ala in the Quran?
No. Neither the name Ala nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name Ala?
Ala is of Turkish origin.
How many syllables does Ala have?
Ala has 2 syllables and 3 letters.
How popular is the name Ala?
Ala does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025).
What are other spellings of Ala?
Other spellings: Âla.
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm04495 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake