Given name & surname
Laila
“a beauty of the night; born at nightfall”
Laila is used as a given name and a surname. One Arabic interpretation is “a beauty of the night; born at nightfall.”
Original Arabicلَيْلَى
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Arabic interpretation is “a beauty of the night; born at nightfall.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Arabic.
How it developed
In English use, Laila is used as a spelling variant of Leila.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1884. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Finnish use, Laila has a related form in Leila. The history of Leila gives this family its wider story. Byron used Leila in The Giaour and Don Juan, and Edward Bulwer-Lytton used it for the heroine of his novel Leila. These works helped make the Arabic name familiar to English-speaking readers.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Laila through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 43,507
- 23 boys · 43,484 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 2,414 babies
- 2025
- 755
- #413 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −40%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 755 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 413 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 39.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 2,414 in 2008. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (77). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 35,860 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.
Laila’s family of names
In German usage, Laila developed from the Arabic form لَيْلَى. Laila has an alternative spelling in Leila. In Finnish usage, Laila has a related form in Leila.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Laila has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Arabic roots to each of them.
Arabicwhere Laila comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 21
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Laila
- Leila KhaledPalestinian refugee, former militant, and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestineborn 1944
- Laila AliAmerican television personality and retired professional boxerborn 1977
- Laila LalamiAmerican writerborn 1968
- Laila FreivaldsSwedish politician and juristborn 1942
- Laila Schou NilsenNorwegian tennis player, speed skater, alpine skier, motor racedriver, handball referee (1919–1998)
- Laila RobinsAmerican actressborn 1959
- Laila HalmeFinnish singer (1934–2021)
- Laila SoueifEgyptian activist, mathematician, professorborn 1956
- Laila HaidariAfghan human rights activistborn 1978
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Laila, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lylah
“night” · “born at night”
>99% girls
Alyssa
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Janessa
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Jayna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Annabelle
“graceful and beautiful woman”
>99% girls
Riley
“from the rye clearing; a courageous woman”
22% boys · 78% girls
Scarlet
“vibrant red color; a vivacious woman”
>99% girls
Pippa
“a friend of horses”
>99% girls