Given name
Khalilah
“a beloved friend”
In Arabic use, Khalilah carries the interpretation “a beloved friend.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Arabic use, Khalilah carries the interpretation “a beloved friend.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Arabic.
How it developed
Khalilah is used as a feminine counterpart of Khalil.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1975. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Khalilah through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,699
- 0 boys · 1,699 girls
- Most popular year
- 1976
- 205 babies
- 2025
- 26
- #5,041 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +46%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 26 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,041 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 45.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 205 in 1976. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,346 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Khalilah’s family of names
Khalilah is a feminine form of Khalil. Khalilah has a related form in Khalila. Khalilah has a related form in Kahlilia.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Khalilah
- Khalilah Alisecond wife of boxer Muhammad Aliborn 1950
- Khalilah SabraAmerican Muslim activistborn 1967
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Khalilah, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Roula
Roula is a feminine given name from Arabic. It is used in French.
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