Leila
Meaningnight · Persian form of Layla
- US rank
- #259
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #163 in 1880
1,193 babies were named Leila in the US in 2025. It has dropped 54 places in five years.
Found on lists
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US births per million girls, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Leila you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Leila
Leila Abashidze
Georgian actress, film director, and writer (1929-2018)
Choose Leila and your child shares a first name with Leila Abashidze, a Georgian actress, film director, and writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Leila, like who?” Leila Abashidze's Wikipedia article is available in 31 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Leila Abashidze on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)- How commonAbout 1 in every 1,347 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Leila, 1,193 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Leila would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryLeila has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Leilas, and counting.
- Best yearIts best year was 1880, when it reached #163.
- Then vs nowLeila is 3.2× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 4,254 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 1,347.
- TrendLeila has slipped 54 places over the last five years and now sits at #259. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedLeila is most popular in Hawaii, where it ranks #30, followed by Alaska (#112) and Washington, D.C. (#119). It's in the top 1,000 in 38 states.
- MeaningLeila is a Persian form of Layla, which means “night”.
About the name Leila
Leila is a girl name meaning “night”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with L and ending in “-ila”. US birth records list Leila for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked #163 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #259, with 1,193 babies.
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 823 | 1,215 girls |
| 1890s | 725 | 1,380 girls |
| 1900s | 527 | 1,899 girls |
| 1910s | 352 | 2,839 girls |
| 1920s | 279 | 3,584 girls |
| 1930s | 232 | 4,306 girls |
| 1940s | 132 | 7,599 girls |
| 1950s | 91 | 11,041 girls |
| 1960s | 86 | 11,623 girls |
| 1970s | 106 | 9,479 girls |
| 1980s | 123 | 8,149 girls |
| 1990s | 121 | 8,247 girls |
| 2000s | 533 | 1,877 girls |
| 2010s | 795 | 1,257 girls |
| 2020s | 792 | 1,263 girls |
Other spellings of Leila
Questions about the name Leila
What does the name Leila mean?
Leila means “night” in Persian, as a form of Layla.
Is Leila a boy or girl name?
Leila is a girl name.
How popular is the name Leila?
Leila ranked #259 for US girls in 2025, given to 1,193 babies. Its best year was 1880 (#163).