Girl
Arabic / Persian
2 syllables
Leila
LAY-luh
/ˈleɪ.lə/
"Night" — a luminous Arabic name of poetic romance, dark beauty, and timeless allure
Leila is a variant of Layla, the Arabic and Persian name meaning night or one who is born at night. It carries rich romantic connotations through the legendary Persian love story of Layla and Majnun, the Middle Eastern equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. The name has been adopted widely in English-speaking countries since the 1970s, partly through Eric Clapton's 1970 rock ballad Layla, and remains popular today.
Quick Facts
Letters5
SyllablesLei · la
GenderGirl
OriginArabic / Persian
Root Wordlayla
MeaningNight, dark beauty
PopularityEstablished
Peak Year2015
Trend
↑ Rising
Name DayAugust 15
Nicknames
LeiLaylaLila
About the Name Leila
Leila means night or born at night in Arabic and Persian. It suggests dark, mysterious beauty — like a moonlit night.
Leila and Layla are spelling variants of the same name. Layla is the more common Arabic spelling while Leila is the Persian-influenced form. Both are widely used.
Layla and Majnun is a 12th-century Persian epic poem by Nizami Ganjavi, telling of the tragic love between Qays (Majnun) and Layla, whose families forbid their union — similar to Romeo and Juliet.
Yes. Leila has been rising steadily in the US and UK. Its exotic sound and romantic associations make it one of the more fashionable Arabic-origin names in Western countries.
Leila Rose, Leila Sofia, and Leila Grace are beautiful combinations. Leila Yasmin or Leila Amara lean fully into the name's Middle Eastern heritage.
Leila is most commonly pronounced LAY-luh in English, though some pronounce it LEE-luh. The Arabic pronunciation is more like LAY-lah.
Personality of Leila
Perceived character traits commonly associated with people named Leila
Creativity
84%
Elegance
88%
Independence
74%
Intelligence
76%
Strength
68%
Warmth
80%
Famous People Named Leila
L
Leila Khaled
Palestinian activist and first woman to hijack an aircraft, a symbol of the Palestinian cause
L
Leila Janah
American entrepreneur and founder of Samasource, dedicated to reducing global poverty
L
Leila (literary)
Heroine of the 12th-century Persian epic Layla and Majnun by Nizami Ganjavi
Middle Names for Leila
Beautiful combinations that flow well with Leila
Leila Rose
Leila Sofia
Leila Grace
Leila Mia
Leila Elena
Leila Yasmin
Leila Celeste
Leila Nour
Leila Amara
Leila Isabelle
Names Similar to Leila
Similar Sound
Similar Meaning
Sibling Name Ideas
History of Leila
1180s
Nizami Ganjavi writes Layla and Majnun, cementing the name as the symbol of tragic love in Persian poetry
1970
Eric Clapton releases Layla; the name gains enormous recognition in the Western world
1990s
Leila and Layla both gain popularity in English-speaking countries with multicultural naming
2015
Leila reaches its modern US peak as Arabic-origin names surge in popularity
Numerology & Symbolism of Leila
3
Destiny Number
Sum of all letters
6
Soul Urge
Sum of vowels
♍
Zodiac Affinity
Scorpio
8
Lucky Number
Personal power digit
🎨
Lucky Color
Midnight Blue
💎
Lucky Stone
Black Pearl
🌸
Lucky Flower
Jasmine
Leila Around the World
How Leila is written in different languages and scripts
ليلى
Arabic
レイラ
Japanese
Лейла
Russian
레일라
Korean
莱拉
Chinese
Λέιλα
Greek
लैला
Hindi
לילה
Hebrew
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