Lilla
Lilla was the 5047th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 26 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 262nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (85). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,230 places. More babies were named Lilla in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Lilah) Origin uncertain · Hebrew, Arabic
- Rank in 2025
- #5,047 girls, up 1,174 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 26girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 191885 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,440babies recorded
What does the name Lilla mean?
Lilla is a spelling of Lilah, pronounced the same way, so it shares Lilah's meaning and origin.
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
Lilla popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,047 | 26 |
| 2020 | #6,221 | 19 |
| 2010 | #4,078 | 37 |
| 2000 | #8,921 | 11 |
| 1990 | #10,885 | 7 |
| 1980 | #5,746 | 12 |
| 1970 | #4,932 | 11 |
| 1960 | #4,992 | 8 |
| 1950 | #2,616 | 16 |
| 1940 | #1,498 | 27 |
| 1930 | #1,110 | 45 |
| 1920 | #828 | 76 |
| 1910 | #687 | 39 |
| 1900 | #444 | 57 |
| 1890 | #376 | 45 |
| 1880 | #262 | 35 |
How popular is Lilla, counting every spelling?
Lilla is a spelling of Lilah, a name family that ranked #199 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,047 for Lilla 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 Lilla?
26 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lilla (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lilla 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 323 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lilla.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lilla?
About 1,400 people born in the US named Lilla are alive today, with a median age of 21; half are between 13 and 69. That makes Lilla mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Lilla by state
How common Lilla was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lilla: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lilla, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Lilla
What does Lilla 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 Lilla?
Lilla was the 5047th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 26 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 262nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (85). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,230 places. More babies were named Lilla in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Lilla a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lilla in the US.
Where is Lilla most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lilla was most common in New York (0.01 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and California.