ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
Perplexity
The short answer
Leila is a feminine name meaning "night" in Arabic, a variant spelling of Layla and the usual Persian transcription of the same name. Behind the Name notes that Lord Byron used this spelling for characters in The Giaour (1813) and Don Juan (1819), introducing it to the English-speaking world. It is pronounced LAY-lə. In the United States it ranked #259 for girls in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Leila as a "variant of Layla, and the usual Persian transcription". Layla itself "means 'night' in Arabic" and was, per Behind the Name, "the love interest of the poet Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi" in the poem Layla and Majnun. Behind the Name notes the Leila spelling "was used by Lord Byron for characters in The Giaour (1813) and Don Juan (1819), and it is through him that the name was introduced to the English-speaking world".
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic | ليلى (Layla) | night |
Popularity
Leila ranked #259 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Behind the Name separately lists Layla, the base spelling, at #36 for girls in 2025.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #259 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: Layla, Leyla, Laila, Lela, Lila, Lilah, Lyla
Related names: Layla
What the name feels like
Leila has a soft, literary sound with a long history in both Middle Eastern storytelling and English Romantic poetry, giving it a graceful, evocative feel distinct from its more common cousin Layla.
Style tags: literary, Arabic/Persian, two syllables
Editorial interpretation: These style impressions are editorial judgment, not linguistic fact.
If you like this name
Names that share Leila's Arabic "night" root or its literary sound.
Similar by origin
Similar by sound
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Leila mean?
Leila means "night" in Arabic. It is a variant spelling of Layla and the usual Persian transcription of the same name.
Is Leila a popular name?
Leila ranked #259 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data. The more common spelling Layla ranked much higher, at #36.
How did Leila become an English name?
Behind the Name credits Lord Byron with introducing this spelling to English readers, using it for characters in The Giaour (1813) and Don Juan (1819).
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Leila — supports pronunciation, history, variants.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Layla — supports etymology, history.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
