Girl · #410 in 2026

Laila

Leila, also spelt Layla, is a feminine given name of Arabic origin. It is popular in the Middle East, including Arabic-speaking countries, Iran, Turkey, and Palestine, as well as the Nordic countries, India and Anglosphere. In the Latin alphabet, the name is commonly spelled in multiple ways, including Leila, Layla, Laylah, Laila, Leyla, and Leylah.

Current Rank
#410
Peak Rank
#135 (2008)
Total Babies
44K
5-Yr Trend
-40%
1884
First Year
2026
Last Year
2008
Peak Year
#135
Peak Rank
44K
Total Count
122
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Laila

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Leila, also spelt Layla, is a feminine given name of Arabic origin. It is popular in the Middle East, including Arabic-speaking countries, Iran, Turkey, and Palestine, as well as the Nordic countries, India and Anglosphere. In the Latin alphabet, the name is commonly spelled in multiple ways, including Leila, Layla, Laylah, Laila, Leyla, and Leylah.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Laila

Laila first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1884, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2008, when 2,413 Lailas were born — ranking #140 that year. As of 2026, Laila ranks #410 for baby girls with 745 births, falling sharply (-40%). In total, more than 44K Lailas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
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PA
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MD
DE
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Top 10
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500+
No data

Names that sound like Laila

Phonetically similar names — useful when Laila is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Laila

What does the name Laila mean?
Leila, also spelt Layla, is a feminine given name of Arabic origin. It is popular in the Middle East, including Arabic-speaking countries, Iran, Turkey, and Palestine, as well as the Nordic countries, India and Anglosphere. In the Latin alphabet, the name is commonly spelled in multiple ways, including Leila, Layla, Laylah, Laila, Leyla, and Leylah.
How popular is Laila in 2026?
In 2026, Laila ranks #410 among girls' names in the U.S., with 745 babies given the name that year.
When was Laila most popular?
Laila reached its peak popularity in 2008, ranking #135 that year with 2,413 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Laila most popular?
Laila has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Delaware, Louisiana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Laila.
Is Laila a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Laila is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Laila?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Laila include Hallie, Maryann, Emersyn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Hallie
Peak #135
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Maryann
Peak #135
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Emersyn
Peak #135
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Allie
Peak #134
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Miriam
Peak #134
👧
Norah
Peak #136
👧
Myrna
Peak #134
👧
Pat
Peak #134

About the name Laila

Laila is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 44K births in the dataset. Laila's peak popularity came in 2008 when it ranked #135. Use the chart and map above to compare Laila's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.