Girls · #36 in 2025
Layla: Meaning, Origin & Popularity
- Origin
- Arabic
- Meaning
- Night
- Pronunciation
- LAY-luh in common English usage
- Nickname options
- Typically not shortened, Lay & Lala make for affectionate family names
Origin and meaning
Layla comes from an Arabic name meaning night. Leila and other spellings reflect different routes into other languages and writing systems. The spelling Layla is one member of that wider name family.
U.S. popularity
Layla ranked #36 for girls in the United States in 2025, with 5,338 girls given this spelling. Its highest recorded U.S. rank was #23, reached in 2019. Historical coverage: 1880–2025. Peak refers to rank, not the largest number of births.
Source: Social Security Administration; historical peaks calculated from its national name files. Rankings count each spelling separately within the listed sex.
The Hello Baby Names take
Layla has a beautiful, lilting rhythm that makes it feel delicate and feminine. The L sounds soften the name without making it indistinct. It works well for parents who like melodic names but want a manageable two-syllable shape.
Things to consider
Layla, Leila, Laila, and Lyla may be pronounced differently or similarly by different families. The spelling alone will not always settle the sound.
If you love Layla, consider…
- Lyla: Offers a close look with a different common vowel.
- Lila: Gives the same gentle rhythm another spelling.
- Mila: Keeps the soft consonants in a compact form.
- Ayla: Lightens the opening further.
- Luna: Adds a celestial association to the gentle sound.
- Naomi: Offers a more varied sequence of vowels.
- Amara: Expands the warmth into three syllables.
- Elena: Brings a more structured, flowing alternative.