Laila
Laila was the 413th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 755 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 135th; the most babies were born in 2008 (2,414). Over the last ten years it has moved down 243 places. More babies were named Laila in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Layla) night · Arabic
- Rank in 2025
- #413 girls, down 186 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 755girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20082,414 babies
- Total since 1880
- 43,507babies recorded
What does the name Laila mean?
Laila is a spelling of Layla, pronounced the same way, so it shares Layla's meaning and origin.
Layla is one of many English spellings of the Arabic name usually written Leila or Layla. Wiktionary says it entered English use through 19th-century literature. Wiktionary notes that since the late 20th century this spelling is often chosen in English simply for its sound. Wiktionary traces the Arabic name Layla to an old Semitic word for 'night', the same word behind Arabic layl, 'night'.
ليلى (Arabic, “Laylā”)لَيْل (Arabic, “night”)
How sure is this? Probable.
See also: Arabic names.
Laila popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 23 since 2004.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #413 | 755 |
| 2020 | #227 | 1,303 |
| 2010 | #140 | 2,249 |
| 2000 | #644 | 389 |
| 1990 | #1,835 | 78 |
| 1980 | #1,741 | 64 |
| 1970 | #2,893 | 24 |
| 1960 | #2,944 | 18 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | #4,111 | 6 |
| 1930 | #2,487 | 13 |
| 1920 | #1,683 | 25 |
| 1910 | #2,027 | 7 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Laila, counting every spelling?
Laila is a spelling of Layla, a name family that ranked #27 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #413 for Laila on its own. Together these spellings went to 6,556 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layla | 5,338 | #36 | 28,818 |
| Laila | 755 | #413 | 4,872 |
| Laylah | 179 | #1,254 | 1,284 |
| Lailah | 131 | #1,602 | 955 |
| Leilah | 125 | #1,660 | 753 |
| Laela | 22 | #5,644 | 183 |
| Laelah | — | — | 51 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Laila?
755 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Laila (0.21 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Laila born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Laila.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Laila?
About 42,500 people born in the US named Laila are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 9 and 19. That makes Laila mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Laila by state
How common Laila was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (4.4×), Mississippi (2.7×), New Mexico (2.0×), Louisiana (1.9×), Maryland (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, Maine, West Virginia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Laila: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Laila, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Laila
What does Laila mean?
Laila is a spelling of Layla, which means “night” (Arabic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Laila?
Laila was the 413th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 755 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 135th; the most babies were born in 2008 (2,414). Over the last ten years it has moved down 243 places. More babies were named Laila in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Laila a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Laila in the US.
Where is Laila most popular?
In 2021–2025, Laila was most common in District of Columbia (2.62 per 1,000 girls), followed by Mississippi and New Mexico.