The name Layla received another boost in popularity in the United States in 1993, a year after the British singer Eric Clapton released his acoustic version of the 1970 song by Derek and the Dominos.
Layla DOES NOT mean night. In Arabic, night is Leilah which is spelled with a ة ليلة, but Layla, which sounds very similar to Leila, is spelled with a ى : ليلى., which is completely different. The meaning of Layla is the happiness of alcohol, meaning as if you are drunk, euphoria... You can find it in the Arabic dictionary.
Layla El is an English real estate agent and retired professional wrestler, dancer and model. She is best known for her tenure with WWE from 2006 to 2015, where she performed under the mononymous ring name Layla. She danced for Carnival Cruise Lines, the Miami Heat franchise of the National Basketball Association, and Kanye West during his performance at the MTV Video Music Awards before becoming a contestant on the 2006 edition of WWE's Diva Search, which she won to earn a contract with the company.
Very beautiful name. Soft, and cool. This is actually one of the few names parents give to their kids these days. I can genuinely understand the popularity for it. I also think the spelling Leila is pretty. I like the meaning, it ages well, and it’s not overused.
The spelling Layla seems really intense for what the name actually is, I prefer it spelt Laila. I also can’t imagine it on a adult, I think it’s perfect for anyone under the age of 18. I also feel it’s used a tad too much now and I swear every Laila I meet is either 5 or 3.
I don't get why people like this name so much. My name is Layla and I hate it. I'm fine with it being cutesy or popular, the problem is no one takes me seriously and it doesn't help that I have adhd. Also my my mom and 40 year old male teachers will sing it and it's embarrassing.
My name is Layla and not to be offensive but I think I will change my name because it also means alcohol and I don’t think it’s childish as I am a badass and just because the name is childish doesn’t mean the person is.
― Anonymous User 2/17/2021
-4
This is too cutsey, childish. Not my style.
― Anonymous User 2/10/2021
0
This has gotten WAY too common! Not a fan of the “lay” either which could be a potential nickname.
― Anonymous User 2/7/2021
-1
This should be pronounced the Arabic way (LIE-lə) and Leila should be pronounced in the English way (LAY-lə)
― Anonymous User 1/27/2021
-2
I don't like the y in the middle, looks childish. Leila is much prettier.
I personally dislike this name strongly. It is sooo trendy, along with all the variants (Laila, Lila, Lola, Lyla, etc), and it would not age well at all. Try to imagine a professional businesswoman named Laila. I'm not giving any hate to anybody who used this name, I just don't like the name.
― Anonymous User 11/23/2020
-2
I absolutely adore the name Layla and I love the meaning and I feel proud of my lovely name and I think everyone should love their name and never change it.
― Anonymous User 11/16/2020
7
Honestly, I quite like my name, and I really think it goes along with my sibling's name, which means light.
As a native speaker of Arabic, I assure you that the Arabic pronunciation is "lai-laa", where the first syllable's 'a' is pronounced like the short 'u' in "hut", which smoothly transitions into the 'i'. The 'a' in the second syllable is pronounced like the long 'a' in "hat", which is why I wrote it twice. It's worth mentioning, however, that due to specific characteristics of Arabic, the 'a' in the second syllable might be shortened during speech depending on the first sound of the word right after it.
I love my name but it is weird to introduce myself to others since not many people I know have the name Layla. I was going to be named Lily but then my mom heard the song Layla by Eric Clapton so she changed her mind. I know this is a weird reason.
This is my chihuahua's name and it fits her excellently (she's mainly black with a whitish tan belly & brown eyes)! Though I never knew the name meant 'night' until a few years ago, gorgeous meaning!
Layla Grant was a popular character on the show Nashville, which is where all these two year olds named Layla are coming from.
― Anonymous User 4/7/2019
2
Layla is a beautiful name and I think it is very mean to call it a stripper name.
― Anonymous User 2/6/2019
14
Good name.
― Anonymous User 11/23/2018
5
Layla works both in Arabic and Hebrew and means 'night' a poetic reference in every Arabic poem. I've been involved in Semitic languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic) for years. This is my field of study and I'm always interested in these cultures. It could be a good middle name to use in real life.
In 2018, 2 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Layla who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 1, 093rd most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.
― Anonymous User 10/15/2018
0
I don't like this spelling at all. Probably because I hate Eric Clapton. But also because Leila looks so much prettier to me. Layla looks dumbed-down. But purely from an auditory point of view, Layla sounds lovely and lilting. I can see why it's so popular.
Are you kidding me? You could have chosen any other reason to dislike the name, and you chose "not American enough"? Oh please! This sounds like it could fit in just fine in American society; it's one letter away from Kayla, for crying out loud! And yet... this name sounds so much nicer and elegant! I would recommend to you to find better reasons to dislike a name instead of calling it "not American enough"; you sounded so ignorant with that comment.
Layla is such a pretty name. It sounds so soft and rolls off the tongue. I wish there were more names similar to this. I think this name can be used by anyone, not only if you speak Arabic. Layina is another name which also starts with Lay but its meaning is different. It means tender, supple.
My name is Layla and I am 11 years old and there have been some awesome information on this site like what it means, different spellings, and some really nice comments but there were a few comments that I thought were rude like the name Layla can be for all origins, not just Arabic.
― Anonymous User 1/24/2018
8
I like this spelling most. It's very pretty, especially on Arabic people. I think Leila and Leyla don't look as good as Layla.
― Anonymous User 11/22/2017
2
For the people saying Layla doesn’t “sound white” enough, a name shouldn’t primarily be chosen just because it comes from a certain ethnicity. I know so many white people with “ethnic” names and it suits them just fine.
― Anonymous User 11/20/2017
10
LOVE this name so much, my first daughter will be Layla. The spelling is perfect and it has a soft and classy sound!
― Anonymous User 6/10/2017
7
ليلى (Arabic) PRONOUNCED: LAY-la (English) [key] Means "night" in Arabic. This was the name of the object of romantic poems written by the 7th-century poet known as Qays. The story of Qays and Layla became a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. My name is Layla and I really like it. I have only ever met one other person called Layla and it's spelt differently.
I always hated my name. It never suited me. I'm never delicate, and every time I meet someone older than me, I know they're thinking of the song. No hate, I personally like it. I don't think it sounds trashy, but it sounds really feminine and delicate, neither of which I am. A lesson to be learned for new parents, you never know how your kid's gonna turn out, so name wisely. I do like Layla as a standalone name though :)
― Anonymous User 8/15/2016
1
Layla is 57th on Canada's top name list for 2015 beating other popular names such as Kate, Lauren and Rachel.
I don't know why. I just don't like this name very much.
― Anonymous User 5/22/2016
-1
I think this is a nice name, it's just not my style. But I do definitely prefer it over Leela, Lila or Lola. I think that the Eric Clapton song has ruined the name for a while.
― Anonymous User 5/12/2016
1
It's a pretty name, and while I can see it on a white American, I agree that it simply sounds better on an Arabian woman. No particular reason why, it just does. It's not a favorite of mine, but it is a good, solid name.
My name is Layla and I love it! I'm A Jewish Mexican/Lebanese woman and it's beautifully said in my 4 languages of Spanish, English, Hebrew, and Arabic. I'll admit I turn up the radio when Eric Clapton's song comes on and I have read the beautiful story of Majnun Layla. Everything about this name is beautiful. It matched my last name too.
My name is Layla, but it's spelled Lala. I am named after my grandmother. I have never seen my spelling in any name related site. I wonder if my name actually is misspelled. Guess it doesn't really matter though. My middle name is from my grandmother's grandmother. I am Lala Lucindie. I have an awesome name!
This is quite an exotic and odd name. I think it's rather bland and I prefer Leila myself.
― Anonymous User 12/21/2015
-6
My name is Lejla and I am Bosnian & I also was named after Eric Clapton song & I am Muslim hahahahaha I live in Australia now and here they pronounce my name Legla.
I really love the name Layla, but I prefer it spelled Leila. I know a little girl with this name, but her mom spelled it "Lahela". It is pronounced like Layla, but she says people always mispronounce it as "La-HEE-lah". This spelling is Hawaiian.
― Anonymous User 10/27/2015
3
Layla is a beautiful name. I love the meaning of this name a lot! :D Also ignore the person who made the first comment for Layla and said it's pronounced "lie-lah". It's definitely pronounced LAY-lə in Hebrew just like the correct Arabic pronunciation "LAY-lə". The Arabic and Hebrew language do have similarities as they're both Semitic languages and have common roots.
― Anonymous User 9/17/2015
2
The love story of Layla and Majnun is a famous story. ❤
― Anonymous User 9/17/2015
3
I just Love this name! It is soo Lovely, never to be mispronounced. I am in the midst of legally changing my name, I must say, in this matter I wish I lived in California where they let you have as many names as you want! Here in Mass you may use 16 letters/spaces for first, middle and last. I am tortured and have been working on it for 6 years. Of course I only found out about the limitations this year. I want to use it. I think Layla Joy is so Lovely, it flows like a song. Peace everyone :)
It seems to me that much like most everything in life, if the name fits the individual then what does it matter what the language/nation of origin is? Layla is a beautiful name regardless of what ethnic background you come from. Instead of being offended that Americans are using a name originated from Hebrew or arabic, why not feel a bit of pride that your people came up with something worth emulating? Petty small minded people get offended over the smallest things. My daughter has blonde hair and fair skin, her name is Layla Faye. The name suits her, the nights we sit up looking at the stars just chatting. You can interpret the name however you like. Dark beauty, night fall, evening beauty. Has it occured to you that maybe it refers to more than a tone of skin and color of hair. Perhaps a moment, a moment that fits a person's character? Perhaps it is simply in the way one appears by the light of the stars and moon. Does it matter how we interpret it? I think not. Mesopotamia, highly considered the cradle of life is smack in the middle of the arabic/hebrew region of the world. Would it not be reasonable to say then that all language and therefore all names had originated there? Which means no matter what a person picks to name their child it will have an origin from that region.
My name is Layla! I'm Lebanese. I love my name!:) I don't like how common it's getting though. I'd say I have to agree that it doesn't quite fit for very fair-skinned people. Guess I'll have to get used to having a relatively common name eventually.
― Anonymous User 3/24/2015
3
Fantastic name! Layla, Leela, and Lilah are all amazing names, but Layla way ahead of the others. It is the way the names are pronounced that make these names special. I picture a confident girl, who has a big imagination, and loves drawing and horse riding, and eases the room as she walks in. Specific, I know, but with a name like Layla, you have to think of someone who feels so special to you.
Layla is an ARABIC name, not Hebrew and it means night fall or evening. Not dark beauty, and Eric Clapton's song was about his wife who cheated on him with a close friend... Layla was not her name obviously, for legal purposes.
― Anonymous User 1/13/2015
-2
I am named Layla and not very many people have mispronounced my name because of the simple but unique spelling. I do not know many people with the name of Layla because of how uncommon it is. It means "dark night" which might explain my love for looking at the sky and not being able to sleep without complete darkness.
My name is Lejla (pronunciation the same as Leila) and I'm Caucasian (from Bosnia) with brown hair and green/blue eyes. I think you can be named Leila/Layla/Lejla regardless of skin color. Whether you're fair skinned or dark colored...
My daughter's name is Layla. She is actually Cherokee. Regardless of race, nationality, or ethnicity, I believe this a truly beautiful name. Layla is a simple yet elegant name.
As an Arab myself, I actually don't love this name. One reason is it's OVERUSED, both in the Middle East and US. Second, it always sounded rather juvenile to me (which is funny because this was my grandmother's name). I can only picture it on a little girl, Arab and Iranian too. Seeing average white Americans with this name just looks extremely off. I'd give it a 6/10.
This used to be my all time favorite name until I mentioned it to my parents and they started singing this stupendously annoying song. That kind of threw me off. I still like it, and if I ever have a child I will keep the name a secret until he or she is born so my parents can't vito my name choice. I will use it with the middle name Penelope, since my mom's name starts with a P and it is a tradition in our family to give your child a middle name that honors their grandmother / father. Layla Penelope sounds gorgeous!
I love this name so much that if the baby I am going to have in November is a girl, I am going to name her either Layla Noelle or Layla Jade. I really wanted to spell it Laela instead of with the y, but my family thinks that it would be mispronounced much more often if spelled like that. So I am going to stick with Layla.
My nickname is Layla and my real name is Alaylah- which is the name of a Iranian or Arab village. Everyone in my family calls me Layla but they all spell it Laylah because of the 'h' in my name and it drives me nuts. I love my nickname- it's really pretty and simple. I'm African-American, and Cherokee-American Indian; so the name really has no relation to my race.
Well, my name is Layla, and personally I love the spelling way more than Leila or Laila. I was named after the Eric Clapton song. The meaning dark beauty fits with me because I'm Persian, so I have tan skin and dark eyes and hair. I find my name very poetic and beautiful. Many people compliment me on how much they love my name.
― Anonymous User 8/10/2012
3
Layla is night in Hebrew...
― Anonymous User 6/26/2012
3
My 21-month-old daughter is named Layla. I always liked this name and was glad that I got to use it. I really love the meaning. Plus, it sounds a lot better than boring old Kayla.
In the two Arabic speaking countries I've lived in, it is pronounced LAY-la. The only people I've heard pronounce it LIE-la are the Filipinos that come to work here... I don't think anyone is trying to disrespect any languages.
― Anonymous User 4/26/2011
2
This name strikes me as quite musical and melodic-sounding. It's so soft and pretty.
"LIE-la," "LAY-la," and "LEH-la" are all encountered in Arabic - it depends on the dialect. In Modern Standard Arabic, the first syllable is pronounced "LIE." In Egyptian and Levantine Arabic, it is closer to "LAY" or "LEH."
The name is correctly pronounced Lie-la since it is an Arabic name. Maybe if English speakers would respect other languages it would not be difficult to pronounce. Once again it is pronounced Lie-lah since in Arabic syllables are combined. The "lay" in Layla would then be pronounced as the word "lie". Not "lay" as in come "lay" with me. If you want it to be pronounced Lay-lah then write it Leyla or Leila. This is Arabic. Respect other languages.
I love this name! Not only because it's my name but also because it is just so easy to pronounce by everyone! I fit in everywhere because it does not sound foreign. Originally my name is Leyla. And that is the Turkish version, however even in Turkey it is pronounced as lay-la. :]
Layla means the ‘ecstasy of wine’, and also means a clear moonless night where only stars are visible.
― Anonymous User 6/23/2008
3
The name Layla means Night in Hebrew. Pronunciation: Lay-La Name quite popular amongst Sephardic or Mizrachi Jews.
― Anonymous User 4/8/2008
2
This name is never, ever, ever pronounced as LIE-la or LEE-la. Only by ignorant Americans is it ever pronounced that way, and even then I've never heard it said that way before. How do you get the LIE or LEE sounds from Layla, anyways? I could maybe see how from Leila, but Layla is a really phonetic name.
― Anonymous User 2/23/2008
2
Such a lovely name!
― Anonymous User 2/21/2008
9
It is pronounced LAY-la in English, not Lie-la. LAY-la is the way it's pronounced in the famous Eric Clapton song that first brought it to most people's attention. I don't really see how you can get the pronunciation "Lie" from the letters "Lay" in English, anyway.Layla is a beautiful name, as is Leila!
Layla from "The Winx Club" has power of tides and liquids.
― Anonymous User 11/17/2007
1
This name is so beautiful. It has a mysterious thing about it but it still is very elegant. Since its popularity is increasing it doesn't sound exclusively Arabic anymore.
I agree with the person above me. Like I said, my name is Layla, and I am of Iranian origin. It sickens me to see my lovely and once uncommon and unique name become so popular! I also think the name Layla just doesn't fit a girl with fair coloring, but that's just my opinion.
― Anonymous User 9/19/2007
2
Beautiful on an Arab girl, but downmarket on everyone else.
― Anonymous User 9/12/2007
-6
On the movie Sky High Danielle Panabaker plays Layla, Will's best friend. Also on the movie Big Daddy there is a character named Layla.
― Anonymous User 8/25/2007
2
This is my name too and I'm proud to have it! I was named after the song by Derek and the Dominos (Eric Clapton). Clapton wrote it for Pattie Boyd, whom he was in love with, but she was married to George Harrison (of Beatles fame) at the time. He was inspired by the book, 'Layla and Majnun' (majnun means madman) by Nezami. It's about a moon-princess who was married off by her father to someone other than the man who was desperately in love with her, resulting in his madness.
Since it is Arabic most people assume it is only a Muslim name, but it is not. I know a half Chinese girl by the name of Layla, and just check the US popularity charts! Wow. Layla is a beautiful Arabic name, and since it is so loved I only wish the two religions of Islam and Christianity could get on. Anyway enough about sad politics! I love the name!
― Anonymous User 2/13/2007
4
This is my name. :) I love it, it's really pretty and exotic-sounding.
― Anonymous User 12/13/2006
6
I love this name. It isn't too common, and the meaning "dark night" and the sound of the name makes it mysterious.
I love this name. I think it goes very nicely with the middle name Elisabeth. I plan to name my first daughter this!
― Anonymous User 10/1/2006
6
The variation Lyla is the name of the daughter of British fashion guru Trinny Woodall.
― Anonymous User 8/9/2006
2
The meaning of the name is NOT, in fact, "night". This is a common mistake, if you inspect the spelling in Arabic you can see they're two different words. The name LAYLA means the light, giddy feeling when one has the first drink of the night, that is, not drunk but on the way to being drunk, the beginning of the intoxication. I hope I have translated it clearly.