Shayla

Shayla is a modern variant of Sheila. Sheila is the anglicized version of the Irish name Síle (pronounced SHEE-la) which in turn is the Gaelic equivalent to Cecilia. Cecilia comes from the Latin Caecilía which is the feminine form of the Old Roman family name Caecilius and comes from the Latin word “caecus” which means ‘blind’. It stems from a Roman mythological figure, Caeculus (‘little blind boy’), who was a son of Vulcan, god of fire. Legend has it that Caeculus was born of Vulcan’s spark, found on a hearth and raised among shepherds. The boy showed mastery over fire, but the smoke damaged his eyes which remained smaller than normal (hence his moniker: little blind one). The name Cecilia was mainly popularized during the middle ages, in homage to the 2nd century Saint Cecilia (Latin: Sancta Caecilia). Cecilia refused to worship the Roman gods during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, and so was martyred after being tortured, suffocated and finally beheaded. She is the patron saint of music and musicians because as she lay dying she was said to be singing to God. As with many early saints, Cecilia became quite legendary in the Middle Ages and so her name was bestowed upon children. The French brought Cécile to the English isles via the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Irish adopted the name as Síle which the English would later anglicize to Sheila. Shayla is a late 20th century development and probably most unique to the United States. The coinage of Shayla was also influenced by the popularity of Kayla. From this perspective, Shayla has no real meaning other than an invention to capture a desired sound.