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Meaning
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Hello, my name is Leila, pronounced Lee-I-luh, always has been. I was born in the United States of America, and was named after my grandmother, whose name was also Leila, with the same pronunciation. In college, I met and became friends with another Leila, pronounced the same way. While shopping one day, I met a checker with the name tag 'Leila', and began talking about the name. She was from England, and said the name is pronounced "Lee-luh" there, and went on to say that it is pronounced "Lie-Luh" in Ireland. Curious, I'd say. So maybe the American origin of Leila /Lee-I-luh is a FUSION of the English and Irish (Great Britain/British) pronunciations. And while my family is not from the middle east (Israel, Iran, Afganistan, Arabia),the Philippines, Hawaii, Norway, Finland, many with a pronunciation of Lay-luh, or Lie-luh,they do have some nice MEANINGS. Do you think we Leila's/pronounced Lee-I-luh, could vote on the American meaning of OUR name? Fusing the meanings of the middle east, with Norse, and Hawaiian we could get, "Dark Haired Royal or Heavenly Beauty wearing a flower garland or lei and full of Hope". I think I like it. What do the rest of you "American pronunciation Leila's" say?
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I don't like the sound of it.
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In Hebrew and Arabic the word Leila or Laila means "night", "dark" and the name is often given to girls born during the night, signifying "daughter of the night".
This is my dead name but I think it's cringe (my opinion though).
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This is my dead name but I think it's cringe (my opinion though).
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Probably also Italian.
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Also Hungarian: https://www.behindthename.com/name/leila/top/hungary
Also Latvian: https://personvardi.pmlp.gov.lv/index.php?name=Leila
Also Spanish: https://www.ine.es/widgets/nombApell/index.shtml?L=1
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Also Latvian: https://personvardi.pmlp.gov.lv/index.php?name=Leila
Also Spanish: https://www.ine.es/widgets/nombApell/index.shtml?L=1
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The aesthetic of this name is flawless, I want to marry this name!
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Can this be pronounced Leia too?
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When I first saw the name Leila, I pronounced it LAY-LA. Same goes with Layla and Leyla. I used to pronounce the name Laila like LAY-LA, but I think it is my nationality or something that made me pronounce it LIE-LA. Either way, this name is okay, not the best, but not the worst.
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With 743 012 bearers, Leila is the 12th most common feminine given name in Iran (2014 Data).
Source: https://forebears.io/forenames/leila
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Source: https://forebears.io/forenames/leila
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Looking for an elegant name. Would you consider this an elegant name?
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I love the Arabic pronunciation LIE-la.
LAY-la is okay, but I don't like it as much.
In any case, the name is beautiful. It could just cause lots of spelling/pronunciation troubles.
I prefer it over Layla.
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LAY-la is okay, but I don't like it as much.
In any case, the name is beautiful. It could just cause lots of spelling/pronunciation troubles.
I prefer it over Layla.
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The German pronunciation of this name is LIE-la.
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Pretty. I also prefer Leila over Layla!
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So soft and pretty. I prefer this spelling to Layla.
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I don't like it. The "ei" just looks ugly. Prefer Layla, but best prefer Laila.
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My name is Leila. My grandmother (born 1910) was named Leila, as well as my aunt (born 1932). We have always pronounced it Lee-lah. I’ve often heard my name pronounced as Lay-lah, and less often as Lee-I-lah. Seems like the baristas at Starbucks pronounce it differently every time. I just answer to all of them- lol.
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Very pretty!
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Short for Leilani.
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Worlds better than tacky Layla.
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My name is Leila, and I'm named for my aunt (born 1930), my great-aunt (b.1900), and great- great-grandmother (b.1865). All pronounced it LEE-lah. I hated it for decades! I have been called Lila, Lee-EYE-la, Lee-Lee-ah, Lilya, and other things. I've come to live with it now. The worst part is that my last name also begins with an L! (I kept it after I got married.)
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I prefer [Laila].
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This was my grandma's name and she pronounced it Lee I la.
She was born in 1919. It is a very old name.
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She was born in 1919. It is a very old name.
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So beautiful.
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I just love this name.
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Leila Luik is an Estonian runner with her triplet sisters Lily and Liina. All three ran in Rio 2016. I'm a huge fan of hers and her sisters.
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I love this name! I was going through my family history recently and my 5x great grandma from Germany was named Leila. Growing up Hawaiian, though, I personally pronounce this name as lay-la.
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My name is Leila, and it's pronounced Lee-La. I don't mind being called Lay-la, because I'm told that in many Middle Eastern countries, it's three syllables, i.e., Lay-EE-la. The pronunciations that bug me are: Lie-la, Lee-Eye-la, Lee-lya, etc. It doesn't go well with my last name, which also starts with an L. It took me a very long time to accept it, but the name has been in my family for at least 150 years. It dies with me!
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My name is Leila. I pronounce it LEE-lah. People have told me I pronounce it wrong. Frankly I love my name- it throws everybody off.
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In 2018, 2 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Leila who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 1, 259th most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.
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Leila Goldkuhl placed third on the 19th cycle of America's Next Top Model.
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How has anyone not mentioned Leila Denmark (1898-2012), who was, at one point, the world's oldest practicing pediatrician? She retired at the age of 103. She ended up living to 114, making her a supercentenarian.
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This is my favorite variation of the name. It sounds very mysterious and elegant in a delicate way.
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Very common in Iran and Afghanistan. Whoever tells you this is Arabic is a liar.
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The name is pronunced Layla, it's an Arabic name.
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My maiden name is Lea Mau you can imagine how my name was slaughtered when I grew up. LA Meow was very commonly pronounced. Now if Lea Mau doesn't sound Polynesian what could? I am of German decent however. I have always wondered what Lea or even Mau might mean in Hawaiian? Most my Hawaiian friends call me Lay ah instead of Lee ah. I'm Hawaiian at heart and would love to find the meaning if any?
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Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa Magistrado de Lima is a Filipino lawyer, human rights activist and politician. She was appointed by president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights in May 2008 and she served in the commission until June 30, 2010, when she was appointed by President Benigno S. Aquino III as the Philippines' Secretary of the Department of Justice. She resigned as justice secretary on October 12, 2015, to focus on her candidacy for a seat in the Senate of the Philippines in what was then an oncoming 2016 Philippine general election. She won one of the twelve contested seats and currently serves as a Philippine senator in the Philippines' 17th Congress.
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My name is Leila and I pronounce it "Layla". My mom was from Finland where the language is phonetic and always pronounced it 'Layla'. In the Finnish language, the letters 'ei' together are pronounced 'ay'.
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Leila Luliana da Costa Vieira Lopes is an Angolan actress, model and beauty queen who won the titles of Miss Angola UK 2010, Miss Angola 2010 and Miss Universe 2011. Lopes was born on 26 February 1986 in Benguela, Benguela Province, Angola. Prior to being a contestant in beauty pageants, she studied business management at University Campus Suffolk in Ipswich, England. Lopes is actively involved in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and the discrimination that people with the disease experience.
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My name is Leila but my mom wanted it pronounced Lee I la. I used to get upset because no one could ever pronounce it correctly. So I just shorten it and tell people my name is Lee.
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Also used in Hungary. There are 2 ways to pronounce: LE-i-law and LEY-law.
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This name is also used in Portuguese-speaking countries, though you don't hear it too often in Portugal - it's more common in Brazil and in former Portuguese colonies in Africa such as Mozambique and Angola.
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One of the best (and worst) things about English: versatility of pronunciation. Personally, Leila/Leyla looks to me to say 'LAY-la'; Laila/Layla looks like 'LIE-la'; and Lila/Liela looks like 'LEE-la'. But technically, Leila could be any of those three pronunciations.
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Leila Lopes is an Angolan actress, model and beauty queen who won the titles of Miss Angola UK 2010, Miss Angola 2010 and Miss Universe 2011.
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My name is Leila. Many mispronounce it but none can deny the pleasure of two l's rolling off your tongue.
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My name is Leighla and it is pronounced Lee-la... as well as my great grandmother. Hers was spelled Leila and pronounced the same way. Why do people think it's Lay-la just because it's spelled a certain way doesn't mean it has to be pronounced that way!
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My niece is named Leila, pronounced LAY la, and it fits her perfectly. :) I think Leila is a beautiful, strong but elegant name, and I prefer the spelling LEILA much better than Layla. I also don't like the pronunciations LEE la or LIE la as much.
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Common in Bosnia, but I also meet people named Leila here in Istria (region of Croatia) although it might just be the high percentage of Bosnians in the population (higher than in any other Croatian county)...
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This is such a beautiful, delicate name! I like the spelling Laila as well, but I don't like Leyla or Layla. Something about the y takes away the delicateness of the name.
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"Lye-la" and "Lay-la" are actually two different, distinct names.
"Lye-la" is of Nordic origin, meaning "Hope". (Sami people)
"Lay-la" is of Arabic and Hebrew origin, derived from the words for night.
Both can be correct. It just depends on what you're going for. For example, my daughter is named after a Norwegian grandmother; therefore "Lye-la" is correct for her.
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"Lye-la" is of Nordic origin, meaning "Hope". (Sami people)
"Lay-la" is of Arabic and Hebrew origin, derived from the words for night.
Both can be correct. It just depends on what you're going for. For example, my daughter is named after a Norwegian grandmother; therefore "Lye-la" is correct for her.
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My name is Leila and it is pronounced as LEE-LA. No one can say who's correct phonetically speaking, because no one knows.
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My name is Leila. I agree that it is often mispronounced, but I think that is the beauty of the name. It's unique. No one knows how to pronounce it until you tell them but personally I like being the only one who has the name Leila (LAY-LA). Many people say the meaning of the name Leila is night, born at night, night beauty, nocturnal, dark-haired beauty, or dark beauty. That means that you get to pick the meaning of your name. The meaning of my beautiful name is dark beauty and it isn't Persian, Hawaiian, or Hebrew. My name is Leila, it means dark beauty, and it originated from Arabic. And I am proud of it.
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Leila is also used in France (it was in the Top 200 in 2012) and is pronounced leh-ee-lah. Alternate spellings are Leïla and Leïlah.
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Leila is also the Georgian form of Layla. It is commonly used in the country. And I mean, commonly used by native Georgians - not just by Arab immigrants.
In Georgian, Leila is written as: ლეილა.
Known bearers of this name include Georgian actress, director and writer Leila Abashidze (b. 1929) and retired Georgian professional tennis player Leila Meskhi (b. 1968). [noted -ed]
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In Georgian, Leila is written as: ლეილა.
Known bearers of this name include Georgian actress, director and writer Leila Abashidze (b. 1929) and retired Georgian professional tennis player Leila Meskhi (b. 1968). [noted -ed]
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It is of Arabic origin, and the meaning of Leila is "night beauty". Used by authors for the names of exotic female characters in the early 19th century.
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This is my favorite spelling, because it's the only one that had been used consistently through time, unlike Layla (which looks too childish and similar to the awful name Kayla) and Laila, which is used more predominantly in modern times. I tend to prefer traditional spellings, so Leila is my favorite :) I like the pronunciations "lay-la" and "lie-la", so it'd be hard to choose which one I'd say! Also I think the pronunciation is about 50/50 and that could get confusing when different people are calling you different things.
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My name is Leila, and I really like it. The original pronunciation is Layla; that's how this name is supposed to be pronounced. Though I was named for the Eric Clapton song Layla, my parents decided to go with the original spelling of the name because of where we would be living. Now that I live in the states, though, I get called LEE-la a lot when people read my name. It's not really bad, and I don't mind correcting them, but it can get a little frustrating just because you want people to know your name the way it is. But I really like my name either way; it's not common at all!
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This name is also common in Iran.
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This is my favorite spelling of this name and I like it better pronounced lie-lah.
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Remember that there are phonetic differences in languages. Just because it's pronounced differently doesn't mean it's wrong.
Personally, I think LEILA should be pronounced LEE-lah. I'm not sure about other languages, but at least in English, there is a separate spelling, LAYLA and is pronounced LAY-lah. (In English, we tend to use pronunciations from different languages).
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Personally, I think LEILA should be pronounced LEE-lah. I'm not sure about other languages, but at least in English, there is a separate spelling, LAYLA and is pronounced LAY-lah. (In English, we tend to use pronunciations from different languages).
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I love this name. It's nice because of the 2 L's, and L is a very delicate letter.
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Leila Buchanan is one of the main characters on the great new TV sci-fi drama "The Event". Leila is a young woman whose family gets pulled into a government conspiracy.
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This is my favorite spelling of Layla/Laila/Leila/Leyla, pronounced LAY-luh. I just think it looks absolutely beautiful, and sounds very elegant. I particularly like the combination Leila Rose (Rose being a family name, and my middle name).
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Leila is also borne by a very famous Ukrainian belly dancer. Although her real name is Alla Kushnir, she's also known as Leila, which means "night."
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With Leila I see LIE LA not LAY LA or LEE LA. Some people say because it has the lei word like the Hawaiian lei it must be said as Lay la. Then what about the name Lorelei? Do you say that as LORE LAY? No most people say LORE LIE.
Also you have to think of the origins. It is an Arabic name. The Arabic lanuage does not use the same letters i.e. A-Z. Leila is a form of Laila. And Laila is SUPPOSED to be said like LIE LA not LAY LA. There is a book in the Quran called Lail and you say it as Liel even though it looks like Layl. I used to say it as Layl until my husband taught me the right way. And like I said they use a different alphabet system so it is not a direct translation. There could be more than one way to tanslate it. Same with Russian to English and others.
But I would never use the spelling Laila for my daughter if I wanted LIE LA. In the U.S. Laila would be said LAY LA 98% of the time.
Lila, at first glance, I say LEE LA like Dina DEE NA.
Lilah I thought was LIE LA like Dinah DIE-NA. But everybody says LIE LA for Lila.
Back to Leila. If you look at it from an Asian point of view it could be LAY LA. If you look at it from a German point of view it would be LIE. But from an Arabic view it is LIE LA.
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Also you have to think of the origins. It is an Arabic name. The Arabic lanuage does not use the same letters i.e. A-Z. Leila is a form of Laila. And Laila is SUPPOSED to be said like LIE LA not LAY LA. There is a book in the Quran called Lail and you say it as Liel even though it looks like Layl. I used to say it as Layl until my husband taught me the right way. And like I said they use a different alphabet system so it is not a direct translation. There could be more than one way to tanslate it. Same with Russian to English and others.
But I would never use the spelling Laila for my daughter if I wanted LIE LA. In the U.S. Laila would be said LAY LA 98% of the time.
Lila, at first glance, I say LEE LA like Dina DEE NA.
Lilah I thought was LIE LA like Dinah DIE-NA. But everybody says LIE LA for Lila.
Back to Leila. If you look at it from an Asian point of view it could be LAY LA. If you look at it from a German point of view it would be LIE. But from an Arabic view it is LIE LA.
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LEILA is Arabic for 'dark' and 'born of night.'
There are FOUR ways of spelling the name:
LAYLA, LAILA, LEILA, LEYLA.
There is a woman politician called Layla Zana.
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There are FOUR ways of spelling the name:
LAYLA, LAILA, LEILA, LEYLA.
There is a woman politician called Layla Zana.
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Famous bearers:
Moderator/Model Leila Abbas
Singer Leila Lopez
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Moderator/Model Leila Abbas
Singer Leila Lopez
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The Estonian version of this name is Leili.
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This name is correctly pronounced as LAY-la. I could see how you can get LEE-la, or even LIE-la from Leila, but it's really LAY-la. Think of the Hawaiian word 'lei' when you say it, since that's embedded in the name. Lei is pronounced as 'lay,' not 'lie' or 'lee.'
If you really fancy the pronunciation LIE-la, consider the lovely name Lila. LEE-la would be Leela.
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If you really fancy the pronunciation LIE-la, consider the lovely name Lila. LEE-la would be Leela.
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Leila is the main character in a famous short story by Katherine Mansfield called "Her First Ball."
'She quite forgot to be shy; she forgot how in the middle of dressing she had sat down on the bed with one shoe off and one shoe on and begged her mother to ring up her cousins and say she couldn't go after all. And the rush of longing she had had to be sitting on the veranda of their forsaken up-country home, listening to the baby owls crying "More pork" in the moonlight, was changed to a rush of joy so sweet that it was hard to bear alone. She clutched her fan, and, gazing at the gleaming, golden floor, the azaleas, the lanterns, the stage at one end with its red carpet and gilt chairs and the band in a corner, she thought breathlessly, "How heavenly; how simply heavenly!" '
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'She quite forgot to be shy; she forgot how in the middle of dressing she had sat down on the bed with one shoe off and one shoe on and begged her mother to ring up her cousins and say she couldn't go after all. And the rush of longing she had had to be sitting on the veranda of their forsaken up-country home, listening to the baby owls crying "More pork" in the moonlight, was changed to a rush of joy so sweet that it was hard to bear alone. She clutched her fan, and, gazing at the gleaming, golden floor, the azaleas, the lanterns, the stage at one end with its red carpet and gilt chairs and the band in a corner, she thought breathlessly, "How heavenly; how simply heavenly!" '
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Think Leila is a pretty name, to me it sounds like a flower.
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This is pretty much my name, only it is spelled Layla. I think it looks nicer as Layla, and it is MUCH easier to pronounce as Layla. My parents almost spelled my name as Leila, but they realized most people would mispronounce my name as Lee-la or Lie-la. I hate when people try to pronounce it as one of those ways. Name your kid Leela or Lyla if you want it pronounced that way. Leila is pronounced as lay-la.
But aside from that, it's a really pretty name. ^^
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But aside from that, it's a really pretty name. ^^
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I'm not sure but I think it means Love in Urdu. I'll have to check on it.
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That one-eyed girl on Futurama is Leela not Leila and a famous bearer is Leila Mckinnon an Australian tv representer.
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Leila reminds me of the one eyed alien girl off 'Futurama'.
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I prefer it spelled Layla and pronounce it LAY-la, and Lila and pronounce it LIE-la.
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This name is so awesome! I am afraid to name my daughter Leila though only because I like it pronounced "Lee-lah" and I am afraid she would always be called "Layla" or "Lie-lah". The meaning is so beautiful, love it!
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Another famous bearer is Leila Forouhar, an Iranian singer.
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A famous (or infamous) Leila is Leila Khalid, the Palestinian hijacker.
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Comments are left by users of this website. They are not checked for accuracy.
I have problems with people calling me Laila/Lila and I hate it!
You pronounce my name 'Leyla', but the spelling Leila is the best one.
The spelling 'Leila' should be pronounced just the same as 'Leyla'!
Leylahhh is just a weirrrrrrrdddd way of saying it super strange and not the right way!
Leila is a beautiful and flawless, lovely name!
GO LEILA!❤.