Leila
Say it: LAY-la/ˈleɪlə/
GirlMeans night5 letters2 syllables
#325
in Ireland (2025)
#329 with spellings combined
12
babies in 2025
#168
best rank (2011)
454
babies since 1981
Down 13
10-year rank change
Leila through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | #329 |
| 2024 | 12 | #321 |
| 2023 | 12 | #313 |
| 2022 | 23 | #204 |
| 2021 | 15 | #287 |
| 2020 | 24 | #193 |
| 2019 | 19 | #248 |
| 2018 | 22 | #219 |
| 2017 | 18 | #260 |
| 2016 | 18 | #254 |
| 2015 | 15 | #316 |
| 2014 | 27 | #198 |
| 2013 | 17 | #287 |
| 2012 | 26 | #213 |
| 2011 | 35 | #168 |
| 2010 | 25 | #225 |
| 2009 | 18 | #272 |
| 2008 | 20 | #257 |
| 2007 | 15 | #296 |
| 2006 | 12 | #326 |
| 2005 | 12 | #300 |
| 2004 | 8 | #370 |
| 2003 | 6 | #439 |
| 2002 | 8 | #352 |
| 2001 | 5 | #441 |
| 2000 | 7 | #353 |
| 1997 | 5 | #440 |
| 1993 | 4 | #448 |
| 1992 | 4 | #455 |
| 1985 | 4 | #456 |
| 1984 | 3 | #516 |
| 1981 | 3 | #533 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Leila mean?
Night
Arabic, from Layla, usually linked with layl (night).
Say it right
LAYla
Some people say LEE-la.
The story of Leila
Leila is one spelling of the Arabic name Layla, which is usually linked with the Arabic word layl, meaning night. It is used across the Middle East, Iran, Turkey and India, and it came into English through nineteenth-century literature.
The name is famous from Layla and Majnun, a love story that grew from poems written in seventh-century Arabia. A poet fell so hopelessly in love with Layla that he became known as Majnun, “the madman”. The story was retold many times in Persian and spread as far as Turkey, India and the Balkans.
In Ireland Leila first reached three babies a year in 1981. Its best year was 2011, with 35 girls and a rank of number 168, and 12 girls were named Leila in 2025. The CSO counts Leila and Layla as separate names, and in recent years Layla has become by far the more common spelling.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Leila (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Leila (name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Leila | 12 | 454 |
In Northern Ireland
#334 in 2025 with 4 babies. Best rank #218 (2018); 79 babies since 2000.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.