Leila

لَيْلَى

Girl Arabic /LAY-lah/ #240 in 2023

Leila is a girl name of Arabic origin.

Meaning of Leila

"Night; dark beauty." Heroine of the medieval epic *Layla and Majnun*, the Arab world's Romeo and Juliet. A symbol of mystical love in Sufi poetry.

Arabic root: l-y-l — (ل-ي-ل, night)

Regional variants

"Layla" has been a US top-50 girls' name since 2010 — popularized by Eric Clapton's song and broadly adopted across Muslim, non-Muslim, and Latin-American families.

Popularity of Leila

Popularity, 1880–2023

1,271 births in 2023

1880 2023

53,035 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Peak year

2010

1,509 babies

First recorded

1880

Earliest SSA data

Recent trend

Steady

Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

Variants & nicknames

LaylaLailaLyla

Related guide

Arabic Names That Work in English Without Explanation

25 Arabic names that American teachers, doctors, and neighbors pronounce correctly on the first try. For families who want heritage without the daily spelling bee.

Read the full guide →

Famous people named Leila

Layla (Eric Clapton song)
Leila Khaled (Palestinian activist)

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meaning and cultural context drawn from classical sources: Lisan al-Arab, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qur'an and Sunnah. If you spot an error, please let us know.