Atala as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Atala

What is the meaning of the name Atala ?

The baby name Atala is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /əˈtɑːlə/ (uh-TAH-luh).

Atala is French, Native American in Origin.

Atala is a feminine given name most widely recognized through François-René de Chateaubriand’s novella Atala (1801), which helped introduce it into limited European use. Linguistically, it is commonly understood as a contracted Romance form of Atalanta, the swift heroine of Greek myth; the Greek root atalantos means “of equal weight, evenly matched,” giving rise to meanings such as “balanced,” “peerless,” or “a worthy match.” In some traditions the name has overlapped with forms related to Hebrew Athaliah (French Atalie, Spanish/Polish Atalia), though these are distinct in origin and meaning.

Usage has remained rare, peaking in the 19th century in France and Italy under the novella’s vogue and subsequent operatic and artistic adaptations, then tapering to occasional modern appearances. Variants and related forms include Attala (spelling variant), Atalanta (extended form), and Atalie/Atalia (sound-related only). Nicknames sometimes used are Ata and Tala.