Lilah
Lilah was the 179th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,736 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 135 places. More babies were named Lilah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew, Arabic
Say it LY-luh /ˈlaɪlə/
- Rank in 2025
- #179 girls, up 61 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,736girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,736 babies
- Total since 1880
- 24,664babies recorded
What does the name Lilah mean?
Lilah is a short form of Delilah and also a variant of Leila, according to Wiktionary. Delilah is the Hebrew name of the woman in the Samson story, which Wiktionary glosses '[she who] weakened'; Leila comes from Arabic Layla, from a word for 'night'. Because the two sources differ, Lilah has no single meaning, and many parents choose it for its sound, close to Lila and Lily.
דְּלִילָה (Biblical Hebrew, “Delilah”)لَيْلَى (Arabic, “Layla (from 'night')”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Either a short form of Delilah or a variant of Leila; the meaning depends on which.
Related names: Lila, Delilah, Leila, Lyla, Lily.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lilah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'Delilah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'Leila', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Lilah popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #179 | 1,736 |
| 2020 | #240 | 1,258 |
| 2010 | #336 | 964 |
| 2000 | #1,877 | 91 |
| 1990 | #5,427 | 17 |
| 1980 | #5,745 | 12 |
| 1970 | #6,097 | 8 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | #2,870 | 10 |
| 1930 | #1,514 | 27 |
| 1920 | #1,364 | 34 |
| 1910 | #1,301 | 13 |
| 1900 | #1,200 | 11 |
| 1890 | #1,157 | 7 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lilah, counting every spelling?
Lilah is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #199 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #179 for Lilah on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,762 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lilah | 1,736 | #179 | 7,543 |
| Lilla | 26 | #5,047 | 134 |
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 Lilah?
1,736 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lilah (0.48 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lilah 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 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lilah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lilah?
About 23,500 people born in the US named Lilah are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 15. That makes Lilah a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Lilah by state
How common Lilah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maine (3.6×), Alaska (2.8×), New Hampshire (2.5×), West Virginia (2.4×), North Dakota (2.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Maryland, Texas, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lilah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lilah, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lilah · Sibling names for Lilah
Questions about the name Lilah
What does Lilah mean?
The origin of Lilah is uncertain: Either a short form of Delilah or a variant of Leila; the meaning depends on which.
How popular is the name Lilah?
Lilah was the 179th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,736 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 135 places. More babies were named Lilah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Lilah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lilah in the US.
Where is Lilah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lilah was most common in Maine (3.36 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alaska and New Hampshire.