Given name & surname · also Arabic
Lila
“born at night”·“resembling a lily”
Lila is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “born at night” and “resembling a lily”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Original GreekΛίλα
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “born at night” and “resembling a lily”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Arabic and Greek naming traditions.
How it developed
Lila is a variant of Leela. The shared background comes through Leela: The word līlā appears in Sanskrit epics and classical writing. Leela’s senses include playful activity, romantic play and the taking on of disguises.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Lila has an alternative spelling 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. Lila is a variant of Leela. The history of Leela gives this family its wider story. In some Hindu philosophical traditions, līlā describes divine creative activity. That religious use gives the name an association with the idea of divine play.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Lila through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 76,550
- 57 boys · 76,493 girls
- Most popular year
- 2010
- 1,969 babies
- 2025
- 1,670
- #187 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +2%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,670 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 187 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 1.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,969 in 2010. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (150). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 43,201 as a first name in 2020; 328 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Lila’s family of names
In Polish usage, Lila is a diminutive of Liliana. Lila has an alternative spelling in Leila. In Finnish usage, Lila has a related form in Leila.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Lila has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
6 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
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 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Lila
- Lila DownsMexican-American singer-songwriterborn 1968
- Lila TretikovRussian–American engineer, manager and former executive director of the Wikimedia Foundationborn 1978
- Lila Kedrovaactress (1909–2000)
- Diane SawyerAmerican journalistborn 1945
- Lila Leeprominent screen actress of the silent film era (1901-1973)
- Lila Abu-LughodPalestinian-American anthropologistborn 1952
- Lyla RoccoItalian actress (1933-2015)
- Lila LeedsAmerican actress (1928-1999)
- Lila RatsifandrihamananaMalagasy diplomatborn 1959
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lila, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Layla
“night” · “a beauty of the night; born at nightfall”
>99% girls
Sophie
“having great wisdom and foresight”
>99% girls
Melia
Melia is a feminine given name. It is used in English, Asturian, and Hawaiian.
>99% girls
Ophelia
“help” · “one who offers help to others”
>99% girls
Haidee
“a modest woman; one who is well-behaved”
>99% girls
Vanessa
“resembling a butterfly”
>99% girls
Hilary
“a cheerful woman; bringer of joy”
2% boys · 98% girls
Sandrica
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% girls