Leila

♀ Girl

Pronounced LAY-luh /ˈleɪ.lə/High

Meaning: Night; dark beauty; from Arabic laylah (night)High

In 30 seconds: A romantic Arabic and Persian name meaning 'night.' Made legendary by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami's epic of tragic love, Layla and Majnun — and by Eric Clapton's rock classic 'Layla' (1970).

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Origin HighArabic, Persian

MeaningNight; dark beauty; from Arabic laylah (night)

U.S. rank (2025)#259 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births1,193 girls (0.07% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2010

Total births (all-time)≈ 55,419

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Leila derives from the Arabic لَيْلَى (Layla), meaning 'night' — rooted in the word laylah ('night'). The name is iconic in Arabic and Persian literature, most notably as the name of the beloved in Nizami Ganjavi's 12th-century Persian epic poem Layla and Majnun. The Leila spelling is common in English and French-influenced traditions.

Leila has been used across the Arab world and Persian-speaking countries for centuries. In English-speaking countries it gained exposure through Romantic-era poetry and literature. In the United States it has been rising since the 2000s and is now in the top 100 girls' names. The spelling Leila distinguishes it from the more Arabic-forward Layla.

Did you know? The 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi's Layla and Majnun is considered one of the great love poems of world literature, so influential it is often called the Middle Eastern Romeo and Juliet.

Variations

LaylaLilaLilahLela

Nicknames

LeiLeeLey

Famous Bearers

★Leila (literary character) (12th century)
The beloved in Nizami Ganjavi's Persian epic poem Layla and Majnun, one of world literature's great love stories.

If you like Leila…

Layla— the most popular English spelling of the same Arabic root

Lila— shares the night/dark meaning from the same Semitic root

Leia— sounds nearly identical, shares the soft two-syllable vowel feel

Lela— echoes that soft -la sound

Lylla— shares Leila's Arabic roots

Explore names like Leila

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Leila mean?

Leila means 'night' from Arabic laylah. It is the name of the beloved in the Persian epic poem Layla and Majnun.

How do you pronounce Leila?

Leila is pronounced LAY-luh (/ˈleɪ.lə/) — two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Leila a boy or girl name?

Leila is used almost exclusively as a girl's name.

How popular is Leila?

Leila has been rising steadily in the U.S. and is currently in the top 500 girls' names.