FastNamesLayla
Arabic name meaning "Classic Arabic name meaning 'night' or 'dark beauty', traditionally symbolizing enchantment and romantic devotion.". Ranked 36th for girls in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Layla
Classic Arabic name meaning 'night' or 'dark beauty', traditionally symbolizing enchantment and romantic devotion.
Linguistically, Layla is classified under Arabic naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "LAY-lə".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Layla has been given to a total of 129,136 girls. It has also been given to 109 boys.
Peak year: Layla reached its highest relative share among girls in 2019, when 6,523 babies received the name (3,887 per million births).
All-time best rank: 23rd place, first achieved in 2019.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 36th with 5,338 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 30th (down 6 spots).
Busiest decade: More girls were named Layla in the 2010s than in any other decade (63,242 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 19 |
| 1960s | 24 |
| 1970s | 1,355 |
| 1980s | 1,052 |
| 1990s | 2,189 |
| 2000s | 26,209 |
| 2010s | 63,242 |
| 2020s | 35,046 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Layla is most common in the US
Accounting for when Layla was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- Delaware: 2.0 times the national rate (466 births since 1910).
- West Virginia: 1.6 times the national rate (897 births since 1910).
- New Mexico: 1.5 times the national rate (878 births since 1910).
- Mississippi: 1.5 times the national rate (1,432 births since 1910).
- Rhode Island: 1.5 times the national rate (384 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Layla?
About 128,000 living American girls and women share the name Layla. Additionally, an estimated 110 living American boys and men share the name.
The median age of an American named Layla is 11 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Layla
Layla (Arabic: ليلى, alternatively romanized as Leila or Leyla) is a poetic Arabic female name derived from the Arabic noun layl (ليل), meaning 'night', often understood in Classical Arabic poetry to denote 'dark beauty', 'intoxication of the night', or 'nocturnal enchantment'. Layla is the heroine of the legendary seventh-century Arabian romance Layla and Majnun, written by Bedouin poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and celebrated across Persian, Turkish, and Urdu literary traditions as the Eastern counterpart to Romeo and Juliet.
In Western culture, the name gained iconic rock status in 1970 with Derek and the Dominos' landmark hit single Layla (co-written by Eric Clapton, who was inspired by Nizami Ganjavi's Persian poem of Majnun and Layla). This musical masterpiece introduced the name into mainstream Western popular consciousness, highlighting its lush, flowing double-liquid consonants and romantic mystique.
Layla surged in American demographic records from the late 1990s onward, leaping from rank 360 in 2000 into the national top 50 by 2008. It reached its historical peak at rank 22 in 2021 with 6,373 registered births. Globally admired figures include celebrated Egyptian golden age actress Layla Murad, Iraqi visual artist Layla Al-Attar, and British-Emirati musician Layla Kaylif.
Notable people named Layla
- Layla El (1977–), English model, dancer, and retired professional wrestler, WWE Women's and Divas Champion
- Layla Al-Attar (1944–1993), Iraqi master painter and director of the Iraqi National Art Museum
- Layla Murad (1918–1995), Distinguished Egyptian singer and actress, one of the iconic stars of the golden age of Arab cinema
- Layla Kaylif (1971–), British-Emirati singer-songwriter and film director, winner of the IWC Filmmaker Award
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Diminutives and nicknames
Related names
Sources and references
- Salahuddin Ahmed. Arabic Personal Names (1999), p. 112.
- Patrick Hanks, Flavia Hodges. Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 163.