Girl name · Arabic
Layla
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: night, from Arabic laylLayla is a girl's name that comes from Arabic and means "night, from Arabic layl". It is used in English and Arabic.
- Meaning
- Night, from Arabic layl
- Origin
- Arabic
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #36 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Layla
As a girl's name, Layla comes from Arabic and means "night, from Arabic layl". It is used in English and Arabic.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Layla on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Layla on 4 lists.
“Night; the heroine of a famous Arabic love story.”
From Arabic names, arabic girl names
“Arabic for night, for a dreamy after-dark cat”
From Black cat names, black cat names for females
“Arabic name meaning night”
From Bat names, names that mean bat or night
“Night; Arabic, heroine of a famous Arab and Persian love story”
From Names that mean shadow, names that mean night
How popular is Layla?
- US rank in 2025
- #36
- 5,338 babies, 3,321 per million girls
- Best rank
- #23 in 2019
- 6,523 babies that year
- Babies since 1950
- At least 129,136
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 1 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 88 per million |
| 1980s | 61 per million |
| 1990s | 122 per million |
| 2000s | 1,418 per million |
| 2010s | 3,613 per million |
| 2020s | 3,602 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #30 | #26 | #27 | #23 | #24 | #24 | #29 | #30 | #37 | #36 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Layla
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- LeilaNight, from Arabic layl (Arabic, girl)
- LeylaNight, from Arabic layl (Arabic, girl)
Names spelled like Layla
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- LylaVariant of Leila, night, or feminine form of Lyle (Arabic, girl)
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- LahelaEwe, female sheep (Hebrew, girl)
- LaiaWell spoken (Greek, girl)
- LaleTulip (Persian, girl)
- LamiaShining, radiant (Arabic, girl)
- LaraRussian short form of Larisa (Latin, girl)
- LataVine, creeper (Sanskrit, girl)
- LayalNights (Arabic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- AmariMeaning uncertain, perhaps from Arabic Ammar (Arabic, unisex)
- AtienoBorn at night (Luo, girl)
- ChausikuBorn at night (Swahili, girl)
- EsraNight journey (Arabic, girl)
- IsraNight journey (Arabic, girl)
- LilaVariant of Leila, night, or short form of Delilah (Arabic, girl)
- LilahVariant of Leila, night, or short form of Delilah (Arabic, girl)
- LilithOf the night, from Akkadian lilitu (Akkadian, girl)
- MāhealaniNight of the full moon (Hawaiian, girl)
- NishaThe night (Sanskrit, girl)
Middle names for Layla
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Arabic
- AliyahVariant of Aaliyah, high, lofty, sublime (Arabic, girl)
- FatimaOne who abstains (Arabic, girl)
- NoorLight, radiance (Arabic, unisex)
- SadafSeashell, mother-of-pearl (Arabic, girl)
- AaliyahFeminine form of Aali, high, lofty, sublime (Arabic, girl)
- AishaAlive, living (Arabic, girl)
- AmberAmber, golden fossil resin (Arabic, girl)
- AminaSafe, secure; also trustworthy, faithful (Arabic, girl)
- BushraGood news (Arabic, girl)
- FalakCelestial sphere, sky (Arabic, unisex)
Layla: common questions
What does the name Layla mean?
Layla comes from Arabic and means "night, from Arabic layl".
Is Layla a boy or girl name?
Layla is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Layla come from?
Layla comes from Arabic and means "night, from Arabic layl". Today it is used in English and Arabic.
How popular is the name Layla?
Layla ranked #36 in the US in 2025, with 5,338 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Layla?
Forms of Layla with the same meaning and origin include Leila (Persian) and Leyla (Turkish).
What middle names go with Layla?
Middle names that flow well with Layla include Frances, Heather, Josephine, Margaret and Marguerite. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.