Leila Girl
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: LAY-lah //ˈleɪ.lə//
Origin: Arabic; Persian; Hebrew
Meaning: Arabic: night; Persian: dark beauty; Hebrew: delicate
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Leila has its roots in Arabic, derived from the word "layl," meaning "night." This etymology reflects a poetic and cultural significance, as night is often associated with beauty and mystery in various literary traditions. The name entered the English language through Persian and Urdu influences, particularly during the 19th century, when Western interest in Eastern cultures grew, leading to the adoption of names from these languages into English-speaking contexts.
Historically, Leila has been associated with various literary and cultural figures. One notable reference is in the Persian epic "Khosrow and Shirin," written by the poet Nezami in the 12th century, where Leila is a central character symbolizing love and beauty.
Additionally, the name appears in the Arabic literary tradition, often linked to themes of romance and longing. The name's presence in these significant works has contributed to its enduring appeal across cultures.
Culturally, Leila has been embraced in various traditions, often symbolizing the allure of the night and the mysteries it holds. In Islamic culture, the night is also a time for reflection and spirituality, further enhancing the name's significance.
The name has several diminutive forms, such as Laila and Layla, which have also been adopted in different cultures, maintaining the essence of the original while adapting to local linguistic preferences. The name's rich historical and cultural background has allowed it to resonate across different societies, making it a name of lasting significance.
Famous people named Leila
In this section, you will find notable people named Leila. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Leila who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Leila who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Leila Ali is a retired professional boxer best known for being a two-time world champion and for her appearances on The Celebrity Apprentice.
Leila Lopes is a model and beauty queen best known for winning Miss Universe 2011.
Leila Janah was an entrepreneur and author best known for founding Samasource and for her work in social entrepreneurship.
Leila Steinberg is a music manager and producer best known for her work with Tupac Shakur.
Leila Fawzi is a television presenter best known for her work on various Arabic-language networks.
Fictional characters named Leila
The following list of fictional characters named Leila is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
Leila is a fictional character from the video game series Final Fantasy. She is a skilled warrior and a key figure in the story of Final Fantasy II.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Leila, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Leila. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Leila was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Leila has ranked as high as #418 nationally, which occurred in 2010, and has been most popular in California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Georgia.
In the past 5 years the name Leila has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Leila is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Leila was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Leila (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| CA | 225 | |
| TX | 135 | |
| FL | 97 | |
| NY | 92 | |
| NJ | 44 | |
| IL | 40 | |
| MA | 37 | |
| VA | 36 | |
| AZ | 33 | |
| PA | 33 | |
| GA | 30 | |
| MD | 27 | |
| OH | 26 | |
| CO | 23 | |
| WA | 19 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Leila.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,191 |
| 2023 | 1,271 |
| 2022 | 1,245 |
| 2021 | 1,384 |
| 2020 | 1,408 |
| 2019 | 1,387 |
| 2018 | 1,358 |
| 2017 | 1,410 |
| 2016 | 1,393 |
| 2015 | 1,307 |
| 2014 | 1,331 |
| 2013 | 1,472 |
| 2012 | 1,365 |
| 2011 | 1,377 |
| 2010 | 1,509 |
| 2009 | 1,390 |
| 2008 | 1,498 |
| 2007 | 1,393 |
| 2006 | 1,161 |
| 2005 | 1,043 |
| 2004 | 893 |
| 2003 | 893 |
| 2002 | 638 |
| 2001 | 566 |
| 2000 | 427 |
| 1999 | 306 |
| 1998 | 297 |
| 1997 | 213 |
| 1996 | 180 |
| 1995 | 217 |
| 1994 | 186 |
| 1993 | 199 |
| 1992 | 197 |
| 1991 | 199 |
| 1990 | 183 |
| 1989 | 200 |
| 1988 | 221 |
| 1987 | 215 |
| 1986 | 212 |
| 1985 | 220 |
| 1984 | 205 |
| 1983 | 213 |
| 1982 | 212 |
| 1981 | 224 |
| 1980 | 184 |
| 1979 | 196 |
| 1978 | 186 |
| 1977 | 192 |
| 1976 | 160 |
| 1975 | 157 |
| 1974 | 155 |
| 1973 | 145 |
| 1972 | 140 |
| 1971 | 163 |
| 1970 | 130 |
| 1969 | 136 |
| 1968 | 105 |
| 1967 | 141 |
| 1966 | 175 |
| 1965 | 136 |
| 1964 | 161 |
| 1963 | 171 |
| 1962 | 190 |
| 1961 | 191 |
| 1960 | 172 |
| 1959 | 192 |
| 1958 | 157 |
| 1957 | 177 |
| 1956 | 182 |
| 1955 | 177 |
| 1954 | 195 |
| 1953 | 176 |
| 1952 | 161 |
| 1951 | 154 |
| 1950 | 169 |
| 1949 | 180 |
| 1948 | 156 |
| 1947 | 177 |
| 1946 | 166 |
| 1945 | 176 |
| 1944 | 197 |
| 1943 | 204 |
| 1942 | 203 |
| 1941 | 211 |
| 1940 | 182 |
| 1939 | 177 |
| 1938 | 190 |
| 1937 | 239 |
| 1936 | 183 |
| 1935 | 240 |
| 1934 | 241 |
| 1933 | 294 |
| 1932 | 305 |
| 1931 | 287 |
| 1930 | 317 |
| 1929 | 285 |
| 1928 | 279 |
| 1927 | 306 |
| 1926 | 313 |
| 1925 | 344 |
| 1924 | 365 |
| 1923 | 335 |
| 1922 | 363 |
| 1921 | 345 |
| 1920 | 405 |
| 1919 | 384 |
| 1918 | 369 |
| 1917 | 352 |
| 1916 | 368 |
| 1915 | 363 |
| 1914 | 259 |
| 1913 | 234 |
| 1912 | 195 |
| 1911 | 143 |
| 1910 | 163 |
| 1909 | 145 |
| 1908 | 150 |
| 1907 | 171 |
| 1906 | 160 |
| 1905 | 154 |
| 1904 | 148 |
| 1903 | 138 |
| 1902 | 140 |
| 1901 | 145 |
| 1900 | 178 |
| 1899 | 139 |
| 1898 | 161 |
| 1897 | 157 |
| 1896 | 149 |
| 1895 | 147 |
| 1894 | 152 |
| 1893 | 173 |
| 1892 | 178 |
| 1891 | 178 |
| 1890 | 154 |
| 1889 | 126 |
| 1888 | 170 |
| 1887 | 112 |
| 1886 | 115 |
| 1885 | 123 |
| 1884 | 103 |
| 1883 | 90 |
| 1882 | 83 |
| 1881 | 77 |
| 1880 | 80 |