Leila Name Meaning

The name Leila has a few different meanings depending on the culture and language. In Arabic, Leila means “night” or “dark-haired beauty”. In Persian, it means “dark-haired”, and in Hebrew, it means “belonging to God”. But no matter the culture or language, one thing is for sure – Leila is a strong, feminine name with a touch of mystery and elegance.

History of the Name Leila

Leila has been around for centuries, with roots in Arabic, Persian, and Hebrew cultures. In Arabic, the name Leila means “night” or “dark-haired beauty”, while in Persian it means “dark-haired”. In Hebrew, the name Leila means “belonging to God”. It is also a popular name in Islamic culture, where it is often associated with the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, Fatimah.

Origins of the Name Leila

The name Leila has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in Arabic, Persian, and Hebrew cultures. The Arabic language is the origin of the name, which means ‘night’ in Arabic, or ‘dark-haired beauty.’ The name is also used in Persian, where it means ‘dark-haired.’ The Hebrew version of the name, Leila, means ‘belonging to God.’

Popularity of the Name Leila

Leila has been a popular name for centuries, but its popularity has fluctuated over time. In the early 20th century, Leila was a top 100 name in the United States, but it fell out of favor in the mid-20th century. In recent years, however, the name has seen a resurgence in popularity, with more and more parents choosing Leila for their little girls.

Final Thoughts on the Name Leila

In conclusion, Leila is a name with a rich history and a variety of meanings. It’s a name that has stood the test of time and remains a favorite among parents looking for a strong, feminine name for their little girl. So, if you’re looking for a name that is elegant, mysterious, and timeless, Leila may be the perfect choice for your little lady.

Infographic of Leila name meaning, which is An Arabic name, Leila means night or blackness.
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Leila Name Popularity

How popular is the name Leila? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 322 101 0.0287%
1911 351 85 0.0228%
1912 328 151 0.0299%
1913 320 180 0.0317%
1914 335 211 0.0303%
1915 313 321 0.0353%
1916 322 312 0.0323%
1917 334 306 0.0306%
1918 340 326 0.0304%
1919 322 353 0.0337%
1920 319 382 0.0344%
1921 365 293 0.0256%
1922 354 306 0.0275%
1923 371 284 0.0254%
1924 358 321 0.0276%
1925 369 304 0.0269%
1926 388 263 0.0239%
1927 391 262 0.0237%
1928 400 237 0.0222%
1929 407 224 0.0216%
1930 386 261 0.025%
1931 382 244 0.0247%
1932 377 252 0.0255%
1933 380 241 0.0259%
1934 423 195 0.0202%
1935 430 184 0.0189%
1936 517 117 0.0121%
1937 427 187 0.019%
1938 514 127 0.0124%
1939 506 130 0.0128%
1940 537 123 0.0116%
1941 474 168 0.0149%
1942 554 130 0.0103%
1943 525 153 0.0117%
1944 545 127 0.0102%
1945 554 125 0.0102%
1946 632 113 0.0077%
1947 678 107 0.0064%
1948 694 103 0.0065%
1949 653 116 0.0072%
1950 695 106 0.0066%
1951 743 95 0.0056%
1952 741 98 0.0056%
1953 717 115 0.0065%
1954 692 135 0.0074%
1955 751 112 0.0061%
1956 734 126 0.0067%
1957 817 107 0.0056%
1958 792 111 0.0059%
1959 775 127 0.0067%
1960 764 130 0.0069%
1961 784 128 0.0068%
1962 765 138 0.0075%
1963 829 107 0.006%
1964 839 105 0.006%
1965 855 89 0.0054%
1966 792 109 0.007%
1967 845 92 0.0061%
1968 1,005 58 0.0039%
1969 916 84 0.0055%
1970 999 74 0.0046%
1971 901 96 0.0064%
1972 957 75 0.0055%
1973 906 88 0.0068%
1974 843 108 0.0083%
1975 958 81 0.0063%
1976 866 106 0.0082%
1977 832 124 0.0092%
1978 781 143 0.0106%
1979 824 136 0.0096%
1980 922 109 0.0075%
1981 771 159 0.0108%
1982 774 160 0.0107%
1983 763 154 0.0104%
1984 803 145 0.0097%
1985 771 162 0.0107%
1986 845 145 0.0096%
1987 871 144 0.0094%
1988 803 179 0.0115%
1989 916 147 0.0091%
1990 1,029 128 0.0077%
1991 984 145 0.0089%
1992 988 141 0.0088%
1993 997 138 0.0089%
1994 951 150 0.0098%
1995 882 169 0.0112%
1996 1,037 128 0.0085%
1997 1,007 139 0.0094%
1998 752 242 0.0162%
1999 741 253 0.0169%
2000 598 388 0.0254%
2001 492 524 0.0348%
2002 452 595 0.0397%
2003 349 847 0.0557%
2004 360 844 0.0554%
2005 309 1,003 0.0656%
2006 285 1,127 0.072%
2007 250 1,371 0.0869%
2008 225 1,480 0.0958%
2009 240 1,367 0.0915%
2010 202 1,495 0.1037%
2011 228 1,348 0.0946%
2012 229 1,340 0.094%
2013 211 1,448 0.1017%
2014 235 1,315 0.0903%
2015 242 1,268 0.0871%
2016 225 1,368 0.0949%
2017 218 1,373 0.0984%
2018 225 1,335 0.0972%
2019 217 1,361 0.1005%
2020 206 1,352 0.1062%
2021 214 1,261 0.1032%
2022 250 1,201 0.091%

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Data via SSA.gov.


Names Like Leila

If you like Leila, you’ll love these other names like Leila.


What names are variants of Leila?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Leila.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Laila

Night

Arabic

Layla

Night

Arabic

Leela

Night beauty

Arabic

Leelah

Night beauty

Arabic

Leilah

Night beauty

Arabic

Lela

Black beauty

African

Lelah

Night beauty

Arabic

Lelia

“The tempestuous one,” from the Greek lailao, a tempest, hurricane, etc.

Latin

Leyla

Night beauty

Arabic

Lila

Night

Arabic

Lilah

Night

Arabic

Lyla

Night

English


What names sound like Leila?

If you like how Leila sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Leila.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Leala

Loyal, faithful

French

Leola

Loyal, faithful; lion

Latin


What names are similar to Leila?

Find a name that’s like Leila, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Loelia

Arabic


Lists With Leila

Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Leila.


10 Comments

  1. I had searched different names online that started with “L”. I liked “L” names and “S” names when pregnant, I felt like it fit with our last name. I ended up finding the name Leilani and fell in love with how it sounded. However, neither husband nor I have a Hawaiian background and so I felt it didn’t fit within our family. I started breaking the name apart into nicknames to see if I liked anything. From that, I found Leila. Additionally, this name in biblical terms means “belonging to God” (Hebrew meaning). Equally, Leila means “night” and her middle name is “Skye“. So, together she is our little beautiful night sky. One thing I dislike about the name is just that it is already a short name and coming up with a good nickname is hard.

    • My daughter is Leila. You can get creative with nicknames and maybe in true Aussie fashion long names get shorter nicknames and short names get long nicknames. There will be some unique nicknames that arise ?

  2. Leila is my grandmothers middle name and her grandmothers first name! I’ve wanted to use the name for a future daughter since I’ve been a little girl

  3. I love my name so much. When I was a little girl I hated it, because no one had the name Leila when I was growing up in my area. People always tells me now that I have a lovely name and personality that goes well with my beauty as a lovely lady. Thanks mom!!!!

  4. Means darkness and dark beauty with Arabic and Persian origins like my husband, and she was born at night during the darkest time of year.

  5. Love the way it sounds

  6. Leila means night beauty or daughter of the night and she was born at night. Also choose this spelling because Lei in Hawaiian has very beautiful meaning

  7. I knew that I wanted an L name, and have always liked the name Layla, just not the spelling. The meaning behind it, although it varies, is very beautiful too: dark haired beauty, nocturnal, born at night etc. All of these things rang true for my little girl. We settled on spelling it with an LEI as a nod to our local roots, being born and raised in Hawaii.

  8. I chose the name Leila because it is just as she is a little night beauty avani is her middle and it means earth in Hindi so in short her name means night beauty of earth …she’s been such an easy and sweet baby so peaceful ..

  9. Leila it’s like the name Layla but we spelled differently to be different. At first I spelled it Laila but her dad’s middle name is Lee so I decided to spell it Leila. It’s a beautiful name. And she is amazing


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