Leila Girl

Popularity: #247 · Trend: ↘ Falling

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.

LaylaLilaLeahLenaLaraLana

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.

MayaNinaZaraAylaSierraTaliaRainaSelah

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Leila was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Leila has ranked as high as #443 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.

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 Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,193 0 1,193
2024 1,197 0 1,197
2023 1,272 0 1,272
2022 1,246 0 1,246
2021 1,385 0 1,385
2020 1,409 0 1,409
2019 1,388 0 1,388
2018 1,358 0 1,358
2017 1,415 5 1,410
2016 1,395 0 1,395
2015 1,309 0 1,309
2014 1,331 0 1,331
2013 1,472 0 1,472
2012 1,365 0 1,365
2011 1,377 0 1,377
2010 1,509 0 1,509
2009 1,390 0 1,390
2008 1,499 0 1,499
2007 1,394 0 1,394
2006 1,161 0 1,161
2005 1,043 0 1,043
2004 893 0 893
2003 893 0 893
2002 638 0 638
2001 566 0 566
2000 427 0 427
1999 306 0 306
1998 297 0 297
1997 213 0 213
1996 180 0 180
1995 217 0 217
1994 186 0 186
1993 199 0 199
1992 197 0 197
1991 199 0 199
1990 183 0 183
1989 200 0 200
1988 221 0 221
1987 215 0 215
1986 212 0 212
1985 220 0 220
1984 205 0 205
1983 213 0 213
1982 212 0 212
1981 224 0 224
1980 184 0 184
1979 196 0 196
1978 186 0 186
1977 192 0 192
1976 160 0 160
1975 157 0 157
1974 155 0 155
1973 145 0 145
1972 140 0 140
1971 163 0 163
1970 130 0 130
1969 136 0 136
1968 105 0 105
1967 141 0 141
1966 175 0 175
1965 136 0 136
1964 161 0 161
1963 171 0 171
1962 190 0 190
1961 191 0 191
1960 172 0 172
1959 192 0 192
1958 157 0 157
1957 177 0 177
1956 182 0 182
1955 177 0 177
1954 195 0 195
1953 176 0 176
1952 161 0 161
1951 154 0 154
1950 169 0 169
1949 180 0 180
1948 156 0 156
1947 177 0 177
1946 166 0 166
1945 176 0 176
1944 197 0 197
1943 204 0 204
1942 202 0 202
1941 217 6 211
1940 183 0 183
1939 177 0 177
1938 190 0 190
1937 239 0 239
1936 183 0 183
1935 240 0 240
1934 241 0 241
1933 294 0 294
1932 305 0 305
1931 287 0 287
1930 317 0 317
1929 285 0 285
1928 279 0 279
1927 306 0 306
1926 313 0 313
1925 344 0 344
1924 365 0 365
1923 335 0 335
1922 363 0 363
1921 345 0 345
1920 405 0 405
1919 384 0 384
1918 369 0 369
1917 352 0 352
1916 368 0 368
1915 363 0 363
1914 259 0 259
1913 234 0 234
1912 195 0 195
1911 143 0 143
1910 163 0 163
1909 145 0 145
1908 150 0 150
1907 171 0 171
1906 160 0 160
1905 154 0 154
1904 148 0 148
1903 138 0 138
1902 140 0 140
1901 145 0 145
1900 178 0 178
1899 139 0 139
1898 161 0 161
1897 157 0 157
1896 149 0 149
1895 147 0 147
1894 152 0 152
1893 173 0 173
1892 178 0 178
1891 178 0 178
1890 154 0 154
1889 126 0 126
1888 170 0 170
1887 112 0 112
1886 115 0 115
1885 123 0 123
1884 103 0 103
1883 90 0 90
1882 83 0 83
1881 77 0 77
1880 80 0 80

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. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 225
19%
TX 135
12%
FL 97
8%
NY 92
8%
NJ 44
4%
IL 40
3%
MA 37
3%
VA 36
3%
MI 34
3%
AZ 33
3%
PA 33
3%
GA 30
3%
MD 27
2%
OH 26
2%
CO 23
2%
WA 19
2%
MN 17
1%
NC 17
1%
WI 15
1%
HI 14
1%
OR 14
1%
SC 13
1%
MO 13
1%
TN 12
1%
UT 12
1%
LA 10
1%
IN 10
1%
IA 9
1%
NE 8
1%
KY 8
1%
NV 8
1%
DC 7
1%
KS 7
1%
NM 7
1%
ID 7
1%
OK 7
1%
CT 7
1%
AL 6
1%
AR 6
1%