ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
Perplexity
The short answer
Lilah is described by Behind the Name as either a variant of Leila or a short form of Delilah, without settling on one origin. Leila is the usual Persian transcription of Layla, popularized in English by Lord Byron; Delilah comes from Hebrew and means "delicate, weak, languishing," and names the Old Testament woman who betrayed Samson. It is pronounced LY-lə. In the United States, Lilah ranked #179 among girls' names in 2025 (Social Security Administration).
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives two possible sources for Lilah without preferring one: it may be a "variant of Leila," itself the usual Persian transcription of Layla, introduced to English by Lord Byron's use of the name in The Giaour (1813) and Don Juan (1819); or it may be "a short form of Delilah," the Hebrew name meaning "delicate, weak, languishing" borne in the Old Testament by the woman who betrayed Samson.
Editorial confidence: disputed
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew | Delilah | delicate, weak, languishing |
Competing or overlapping origins
- Behind the Name treats Lilah as possibly a variant of Leila (the Persian transcription of Layla, popularized in English by Lord Byron) rather than solely a form of Delilah; the entry does not resolve which is the more likely source.
Popularity
Lilah ranked #179 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to db/list-batch.mjs's SSA 2025 figures, matching the rank in the cached Behind the Name snapshot for the same year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #179 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: Laila, Layla, Leila, Lila, Lyla
Related names: Delilah, Leila, Layla
What the name feels like
Lilah is a soft, two-syllable name that sits within a large cluster of similar-sounding La/Le/Li names (Layla, Leila, Lila), giving it an easy, melodic feel while leaving its exact origin ambiguous.
Style tags: soft sound, two syllables, part of a name cluster, modern favorite
Editorial interpretation: This style read is editorial opinion. Behind the Name records two possible word origins without resolving between them; it does not comment on style.
If you like this name
Other names in the Layla/Leila sound-alike cluster, or names connected to the biblical Delilah.
Similar by sound
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Lilah mean?
Behind the Name gives two possible sources: as a variant of Leila, its meaning is tied to Layla; as a short form of Delilah, it means "delicate, weak, languishing" in Hebrew. The entry does not resolve which is correct.
Is Lilah the same name as Leila or Delilah?
It is closely connected to both: Behind the Name describes Lilah as either a variant of Leila or a short form of Delilah, without preferring one.
Is Lilah a popular name?
Yes. Lilah ranked #179 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Lilah — supports etymology, pronunciation, variants.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Delilah — supports etymology (root gloss), history.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
