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Home › Baby Names Directory › Kalila

Kalila

♀ Girl

Pronounced kə-LEE-lah /kəˈli.lɑ/High

Meaning: Beloved, darling, sweetheart; the feminine of Khalil, 'dear friend', from ArabicHigh

In 30 seconds: Beloved, distilled to three sweet syllables: Kalila is Arabic for the dear one, the darling — feminine of Khalil, 'beloved friend'. And it titles one of the world's oldest fable collections.
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Origin HighArabic
MeaningBeloved, darling, sweetheart; the feminine of Khalil, 'dear friend', from Arabic
U.S. rank (2025)#3120 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births52 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2019
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,168

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201919772025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kalila is the feminine of Khalil — Arabic khalil, 'beloved friend, intimate companion' — meaning 'beloved, darling'. It titles the classic fable collection Kalila wa Dimna and has been a tender Arabic name for centuries.

In the U.S. it appears in Arab and Muslim families, easy on Western tongues. Rare, beloved at the root, and story-rich.

Did you know? 'Kalila wa Dimna' — the ancient Arabic fable collection named for two jackals — is one of the most translated books in history, an Eastern cousin of Aesop; the name carries a whole storytelling tradition.
Overall data confidence 85%
Behind the Name — Kalila — etymology

Variations

KahlilaKhalilaKalilah

Nicknames

KaliLila

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kalila…

Layla— a fellow soft Arabic classic
Jamila— the companion beauty-name
Amira— another Arabic crossover favorite
Khalyla— lands in the same popularity range
Dalila— shares Kalila's Arabic roots

Explore names like Kalila

By themearabicbeloved
By meaningLove

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Kalila mean?

Kalila is Arabic for 'beloved, darling' — the feminine of Khalil, 'dear friend'.

How do you pronounce Kalila?

It's said kə-LEE-lah /kəˈli.lɑ/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Kalila a boy or girl name?

Kalila is a girl's name.

How popular is Kalila?

Kalila is a rare name in the U.S. and classic in the Arab world.

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