Leila

LAY·lə, IPA /ˈleɪ.lə/ (English); Arabic pronunciation is closer to /ˈlaj.laː/. · 2 syllables

Leila is comfortably familiar.

91/100

Strong Practical Fit

Balanced across pronunciation, everyday use, lifetime fit and international use.

Name Profile

Pronunciation & Spelling
Clear, with one common misreading
A documented English pronunciation is on file: LAY-lə, IPA /ˈleɪ.lə/ (English); Arabic pronunciation is closer to /ˈlaj.laː/. Commonly mispronounced as LEE-lə (the /iː/ pronunciation common for 'Layla') used in place of the more traditional LAY-lə.
91/100
Everyday Use
Low risk
95/100
Growing Up
Strong lifetime fit
Works comfortably across child and adult settings.
82/100
International Use
Broad international fit
Works cleanly across the assessed languages and writing systems.
85/100

NAME DETAILS

DOCUMENTED USE: Feminine
CLOSE SPELLINGS: Laylah; Leylah; Lejla; Lelia
OTHER-LANGUAGE FORM: Leyla

ORIGIN & HISTORY

About the name

Leila is the English/literary spelling of the older Arabic-Persian name Layla ('night'), carrying the full literary weight of the 'Layla and Majnun' legend; the specific 'Leila' spelling was popularized in English by Lord Byron's early-19th-century poems, well before its adoption as a modern Anglosphere baby name. The precise historical link (if any) between the Nordic 'Laila/Lajla' form and the Sami word connected to 'Helga' (holy) versus a parallel borrowing of the Arabic/Persian name is not fully resolved in the sources consulted and is presented here as a secondary, lower-confidence lane.

ليلى / ليلة (Layla / laylah), Arabic. "Night" — from Arabic layl/laylah (ليل / ليلة), with a secondary connotation of 'dark-haired' or 'dark beauty' in Persian usage.
Mythological and religious contextNot a religious/mythological name in the strict sense, but carries deep folkloric/literary legendary weight through the 'Layla and Majnun' story, which spread across Arabic, Persian, Turkic, and South Asian cultural traditions.

POPULARITY

Leila over time

United States

#259RANK

Rank #259 gives national context, not a classroom forecast.

Recognizable without feeling automatic. Ranked #259 in the U.S., 2025.

SourceU.S. Social Security Administration · 2025 release

Pronunciation & Forms

SAY IT

LAY·lə, IPA /ˈleɪ.lə/ (English); Arabic pronunciation is closer to /ˈlaj.laː/.

STRESS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

CLOSE SPELLINGS

Laylah
Leylah
Lejla
Lelia

OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS

LaylaArabic ليلى
LeylaTR
Laila / LajlaNordic/Sami form

PRACTICAL LIFE

How This Name Lives

AT SCHOOL & DAY TO DAY

A globally familiar, melodic name that works well cross-culturally for a child, carrying strong literary/romantic connotations that become apparent only later in life.

Cultural Footprint

Carries the full literary and folkloric weight of the medieval Arabic/Persian 'Layla and Majnun' legend, in addition to a separate 19th-century English literary history tied to Lord Byron's poetry.

TRACEABLE ORIGIN

Leila HatamiIranian actress, Silver Bear Best Actress winner (Berlin International Film Festival) for 'A Separation' · 2011

More about Leila

FORMALITY

Used identically in formal and informal registers; no standard shortened form was documented in sources consulted this session.

Names around it

LaylaView →

LeylaView →

LailaView →

LilaView →

LaylahView →

CLOSE SPELLING

LeylahView →

CLOSE SPELLING

EDITORIAL SYNTHESIS

The Decision

Leila is spelled without unusual letter patterns, and it holds up in everyday use. Surname-dependent compatibility remains unassessed until a surname is added.

STRENGTH

A documented English pronunciation is on file. Uses standard characters that systems widely handle cleanly.

BEST FIT

Everyday Use is the strongest-scoring part of this name — no obvious nickname traps, rhymes, or initial issues detected.

FULL-NAME CHECK