Leila
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.
- Persian
- Arabic
- Kurdish
- English
Meaning & Origin of Leila
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)
- Persian
- Arabic
- Kurdish
- English
- French
- Georgian
The Story of Leila
The earliest SSA record of Leila as a baby girl name dates back to 1880, when 80 babies received it. 2010 was its biggest year on record, with 1,509 newborns named Leila — #205 in the national rankings. About 25% of every Leila on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Leila ranks #279 for baby girls with 1,145 births, gradually falling (-13%). All told, over 57K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Leila
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Leila. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Leila
Phonetically similar names — useful when Leila 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 Leila
What does the name Leila mean?
What is the origin of the name Leila?
How popular is Leila in 2026?
When was Leila most popular?
In which U.S. states is Leila most popular?
Is Leila a unisex name?
What names go well with Leila?
What are nicknames or variants of Leila?
About the name Leila
Leila is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 57K births in the dataset. Leila's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #163. Use the chart and map above to compare Leila's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2010 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- 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.