Fun Facts About the Name Layla
- Gaining ground: Layla remained in the U.S. top 100 for 19 consecutive years, from 2007 through 2025. In 2025, it gained 1 ranking positions compared with the previous year.
- More than 129 thousand babies named Layla: U.S. records list 129,176 babies given the name Layla from 1880 through 2025. Even 109 boys received the name Layla - about 1 boy for every 1,184 girls.
What Does the Name Layla Mean?
Layla is an Arabic feminine name meaning "night." It comes from the Arabic root L-Y-L, which has to do with night and darkness. The common Arabic noun layl means "night," and layla means "a night" or "one night." The proper name Layla, written ليلى in Arabic, is related to this root and is traditionally understood to mean "night." The Arabic spelling ends with alif maqsura (ى). Some later explanations give the meaning as "dark beauty" or "born at night," but these are poetic or customary expansions rather than the literal etymology.
Layla Name History & Origins
The name Layla is old in Arabic. It appears in early Arabic poetry, and its best-known early literary association is the story of Majnun Layla, the tale of the poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and his beloved Layla. The story is traditionally placed in the 7th century, during the Umayyad period, and became one of the most famous love stories in Arabic literature. It was retold by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in the 12th century and later by writers in Persian, Turkish, and Urdu. A historical bearer from roughly the same era was Layla al-Akhyaliyya, a female Arab poet.
The name is used in Arabic-speaking countries and in other Muslim societies where Arabic names are common, including Turkey, Iran, and South Asia, where it appears in forms such as Leyla, Leila, and Laila. In English, these transliterations appeared in the 19th century, often in translations and Romantic-era writing about the Middle East. The spelling Layla is now common in English. The 1970 song "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos is a well-known modern use of the name.
How Popular is the Name Layla?
Layla recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2019. Layla entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 2007.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #36 | 5,338 | 0.3321% |
| 2024 | #37 | 5,305 | 0.3289% |
| 2023 | #30 | 5,698 | 0.3555% |
| 2022 | #29 | 6,091 | 0.3717% |
| 2021 | #24 | 6,347 | 0.3871% |
| 2020 | #24 | 6,221 | 0.3851% |
| 2019 | #23 | 6,518 | 0.3885% |
| 2018 | #27 | 6,509 | 0.3828% |
| 2017 | #26 | 6,333 | 0.3669% |
| 2016 | #30 | 6,298 | 0.3555% |
| 2015 | #30 | 6,346 | 0.3556% |
| 2014 | #29 | 6,464 | 0.3619% |
| 2013 | #30 | 6,489 | 0.3699% |
| 2012 | #31 | 6,278 | 0.3566% |
| 2011 | #35 | 6,087 | 0.3461% |
| 2010 | #37 | 5,899 | 0.3319% |
| 2009 | #45 | 5,212 | 0.2837% |
| 2008 | #55 | 4,931 | 0.2608% |
| 2007 | #85 | 3,902 | 0.2030% |
| 2006 | #101 | 3,362 | 0.1768% |
| 2005 | #144 | 2,384 | 0.1290% |
| 2004 | #167 | 2,012 | 0.1096% |
| 2003 | #195 | 1,687 | 0.0923% |
| 2002 | #291 | 1,073 | 0.0597% |
| 2001 | #328 | 947 | 0.0526% |
| 2000 | #407 | 698 | 0.0384% |
| 1999 | #656 | 351 | 0.0198% |
| 1998 | #860 | 247 | 0.0140% |
| 1997 | #1,020 | 189 | 0.0109% |
| 1996 | #914 | 215 | 0.0123% |
| 1995 | #836 | 235 | 0.0134% |
| 1994 | #875 | 224 | 0.0125% |
| 1993 | #684 | 320 | 0.0177% |
| 1992 | #1,086 | 166 | 0.0090% |
| 1991 | #1,457 | 109 | 0.0058% |
| 1990 | #1,251 | 132 | 0.0070% |
| 1989 | #1,513 | 95 | 0.0052% |
| 1988 | #1,324 | 109 | 0.0061% |
| 1987 | #1,455 | 90 | 0.0052% |
| 1986 | #1,138 | 127 | 0.0074% |
| 1985 | #1,515 | 81 | 0.0047% |
| 1984 | #1,187 | 111 | 0.0066% |
| 1983 | #1,377 | 87 | 0.0052% |
| 1982 | #1,183 | 116 | 0.0069% |
| 1981 | #1,235 | 106 | 0.0064% |
| 1980 | #1,085 | 130 | 0.0078% |
| 1979 | #1,068 | 130 | 0.0081% |
| 1978 | #977 | 142 | 0.0093% |
| 1977 | #746 | 206 | 0.0134% |
| 1976 | #800 | 174 | 0.0119% |
| 1975 | #743 | 194 | 0.0133% |
| 1974 | #758 | 185 | 0.0126% |
| 1973 | #853 | 151 | 0.0104% |
| 1972 | #974 | 124 | 0.0082% |
| 1971 | #2,022 | 42 | 0.0025% |
| 1970 | #6,720 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #6,309 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #4,475 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1964 | #5,767 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #6,605 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1955 | #4,978 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #4,542 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #10,455 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #10,345 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #13,307 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #7,906 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #10,189 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #11,565 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #13,264 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #9,368 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #7,848 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #10,317 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #13,662 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #9,519 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #9,407 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #10,205 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #7,924 | 9 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Layla
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Layla Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Layla's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Layla's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.