Laila

Did you know?

A few things about Laila you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Laila

Laila Lalami

American writer

Choose Laila and your child shares a first name with Laila Lalami, an American writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Laila, like who?” Laila Lalami's Wikipedia article is available in 23 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Laila Lalami on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Sizzlipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,129 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Laila, 755 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Laila would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryLaila first shows up in US birth records in 1884, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 141 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 2009, when it ranked #135. Today it's #413, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowLaila is 2.2× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 4,669 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 2,129.
• 🍂TrendLaila has slipped 186 places over the last five years and now sits at #413. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedLaila is most popular in Maryland, where it ranks #212, followed by Louisiana (#254) and New York (#267). It's in the top 1,000 in 34 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Arabic, Laila means “night”.

About the name Laila

Laila is a girl name meaning “night”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with L and ending in “-ila”. US birth records list Laila for girls from 1884 to 2025, in 121 of those 142 years. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked #135 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #413, with 755 babies.