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The short answer
Lyla is a feminine English name that Behind the Name lists as a "variant of Leila or a feminine form of Lyle". Leila is itself a variant of Layla, which means "night" in Arabic and comes from the medieval Arab tale of Layla and Majnun; the name entered English use after the 1970 song "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos. Lyle's own etymology is not confirmed in cached sources. It is pronounced LY-lə. In the United States it ranked #80 for girls in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Lyla as "variant of Leila or a feminine form of Lyle". Leila's own cached entry describes it as a "variant of Layla, and the usual Persian transcription", popularized in English by Lord Byron. Layla's cached entry gives the direct gloss: it "means 'night' in Arabic", from the medieval Arab tale of Layla and Majnun, later spread in English after the 1970 Derek and the Dominos song "Layla". Lyle is not present in the cached source set, so the alternative feminine-form-of-Lyle origin is not independently verified.
Editorial confidence: likely
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic | layla | night |
Competing or overlapping origins
- A feminine form of the name/surname Lyle; Lyle's own etymology is not verified in this pass because it is not present in the cached source set.
Popularity
Lyla ranked #80 for girls in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #80 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: Laila, Layla, Leila, Lela, Leyla, Lila, Lilah, Lylah, Leilah
What the name feels like
Lyla is a soft, two-syllable member of the large Layla/Leila name family, with a distinctive y-spelling that sets it apart visually while keeping the same familiar sound.
Style tags: modern spelling, Arabic root (via Layla), two syllables
Editorial interpretation: This style read is editorial judgment, not linguistic fact.
If you like this name
Names in the same Layla/Leila family, or with a similarly soft two-syllable sound to Lyla.
Similar by origin
Similar by sound
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Lyla mean?
Lyla is generally traced to Layla, meaning "night" in Arabic, via the variant Leila. Behind the Name also lists an alternative origin as a feminine form of Lyle, though Lyle's own meaning is not verified in this pass.
Is Lyla the same name as Layla?
They are closely related. Behind the Name lists Lyla as a variant of Leila, which is itself a variant of Layla, an Arabic name meaning "night".
Is Lyla a popular name?
Yes. Lyla ranked #80 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 Lyla — supports variant relationship, pronunciation, variants.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Leila — supports variant relationship, history.
- 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.
