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.
- Arabic
- Urdu
- English
- Danish
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 →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Arabic
- Urdu
- English
- Danish
- Norwegian
- Swedish
- Finnish
- Sami
The Story of Laila
American parents first put Laila on the record books as a baby girl name in 1884, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2008, when 2,413 Lailas were born — ranking #140 that year. About 44% of every Laila on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Laila ranks #410 for baby girls with 745 births, falling sharply (-40%). All told, over 44K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Laila
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Laila. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
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
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How popular is Laila in 2026?
When was Laila most popular?
In which U.S. states is Laila most popular?
Is Laila a unisex name?
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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
- Top names of 2008 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.