Last updated: March 2026

Character Name

Twila

Meaning — Possibly from the English twilight, from the Old English twi- (two, between) combined with light — the half-light between day and night. Alternatively it may be an invented American name or a form of Twyla, which has uncertain origins. Twila emerged as a given name in the American South and Midwest in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.·Old English origin·Female·TWY-lah

Twila Twila carries the liminal quality of twilight — the threshold time that belongs to neither day nor night, when the world becomes simultaneously more beautiful and more dangerous, when spirits are said to move between worlds and the ordinary becomes strange. In American naming tradition it has the quality of a name created to express something specific about a child's birth time or character, a name made from sensation rather than tradition. It suits characters who inhabit the boundaries between states of being.

Best genres for Twila

Literary FictionRomanceFantasyHistorical Fiction

Famous characters named Twila

No verified literary characters with this exact given name were found yet. We are continuously expanding this section.


Variations & nicknames

TwilaTwylaTwilah

Pairs well with

Twila CraneTwila VossTwila MercerTwila AshfordTwila LangfordTwila Whitmore

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More Old English names

Brandon

“From the Old English Brūndūn or the Old Irish Breandán, both associated with place names meaning "hill covered with broom" (from Old English brom, "broom plant," and dun, "hill"). The Irish form Breandán was borne by Saint Brendan the Navigator, the 6th-century monk famous for his legendary Atlantic voyage. Brandon also developed as an English surname before becoming a given name in the 19th century.”

Evelyn

“Evelyn originated as an English surname derived from the medieval given name Aveline, itself from the Germanic element "avi" of uncertain meaning, possibly related to "aval" (strength) or the Proto-Germanic root for "water". It entered use as a given name in the 17th century, initially as a masculine name in the Evelyn family, before becoming primarily feminine in the 20th century. Today it is widely popular in English-speaking countries.”

Vance

“From the English and Scottish surname Vance, derived from a place name from the Old English fenn meaning "fen, marsh". It may also derive from the Middle English and Old French vans/vannes related to a fan or winnowing basket. The surname was primarily used in Northern Ireland and Scotland before migrating to America with Scots-Irish settlers.”

Chelsea

“From the English place name Chelsea in London, from the Old English cealc meaning "chalk" and hyth meaning "landing place, wharf" — thus "chalk landing place" or "chalk wharf". The London district of Chelsea on the Thames became associated with artists, writers, and bohemian culture, giving the name associations of creativity and a certain raffish London elegance.”

Hailey

“A modern spelling variant of Hayley, derived from the Old English place name Hægleah, meaning "hay meadow" or "clearing in a hay-field" — from hæg ("hay" or "hedged enclosure") and leah ("meadow" or "clearing"). Hayley became a given name in the 1960s through the English actress Hayley Mills, and the Hailey spelling grew to be the most popular American variant in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.”

Cooper

“From the occupational English surname Cooper, denoting a maker or repairer of barrels, casks, and tubs — from the Middle English couper or cowper, and ultimately from the Medieval Latin cupa, "tub" or "cask." The trade was essential in the pre-industrial world for storing and transporting wine, beer, and provisions. Cooper became a given name in the 19th century through the surname-transfer tradition and has grown considerably in popularity in the 21st century.”


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