Girl's name
Layla
Say it LAY-luh
Arabic origin night
2 syllables
Where Layla is loved, common and rare
Common across Canada, the UK, Ireland and five more places. Rare in four German cities, the Netherlands, Israel and seven more places.
1 in 197 girls born in Scotland in 2025
Ontario 41stScotland 43rdEngland and Wales 50th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 25 of the 40 official lists, among them Ontario (41st), Scotland (43rd) and England and Wales (50th).
Show all 25 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 32nd 2025 | 89 | rank only |
| New South Wales state | 35th 2025 | 162 | rank only |
| Queensland state | 35th 2025 | 121 | rank only |
| South Australia state | 40th 2025 | 36 | rank only |
| Ontario province | 41st 2024 | 198 | about 1 in 275 |
| Victoria state | 41st 2025 | 137 | rank only |
| Scotland | 43rd 2025 | 91 | 1 in 197 |
| England and Wales | 50th 2025 | 833 | 1 in 304 |
| British Columbia province | 56th 2023 | 42 | about 1 in 285 |
| Ireland | 60th 2025 | 83 | 1 in 255 |
| Northern Ireland | 68th 2025 | 30 | 1 in 243 |
| Quebec province | 70th 2025 | 76 | about 1 in 342 |
| Munich city | 177th 2025 | 7 | about 1 in 599 |
| The Netherlands | 184th 2025 | 81 | about 1 in 753 |
| Israel לילה | 185th 2024 | 93 | about 1 in 844 |
| Poland | 211th 2025 | 34 | 1 in 3,523 |
| Berlin city | 218th 2023 | 14 | about 1 in 1,036 |
| Austria | 249th 2025 | 24 | 1 in 1,488 |
| Cologne city | 258th 2023 | 4 | about 1 in 1,536 |
| Switzerland | 277th 2025 | 25 | 1 in 1,360 |
| Italy | 309th 2024 | 50 | 1 in 3,583 |
| Sweden | 365th 2025 | 19 | about 1 in 2,114 |
| France | 415th 2025 | 125 | 1 in 2,294 |
| Catalonia region | 422nd 2025 | 7 | 1 in 2,753 |
| Leipzig city | 344th 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 2,624 |
Rare, below the listed names: Bonn, Rostock, Norway, Spain, Hungary and Slovenia.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), SmartStart (New Zealand); NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (Data.NSW) (New South Wales); Queensland Registry of BDM (Qld Open Data Portal) (Queensland); SA Attorney-General's Department, Births, Deaths and Marriages (data.sa.gov.au) (South Australia); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Registry of BDM Victoria (DataVic) (Victoria); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig). How we count, and every source
About the name
Layla is a spelling of the Arabic name also written Leila, from the Arabic layla, 'night', a word that goes back to an old Semitic root. Many English speakers also choose it simply for its sound, without any particular link to its Arabic background.
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LAY-luh has two syllables that flow easily, with a repeated l that gives it a soft, rolling feel. Leila, Leyla, Laila and Leilah are all related spellings.
Layla is in the top forty in New Zealand, New South Wales and Queensland, and it has a following in the Netherlands, Israel and Poland. In Canada it first appeared in the early 1970s and peaked around 2020. It is rising in more countries than it is falling, so its popularity looks settled for now.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- LAY-luh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
night
- Origin
- Arabic
- Other spellings
- Leila
- Leyla
- Laila
- Leelah
- Leilah
- Leïlah
Etymology
Spelling of an Arabic name, variant of Leila, from Arabic layla; the Arabic entry derives it from Proto-Semitic *laylay- "night". Also used in English for its sound.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 6 of 24 regions, falling in 3.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 40 | 38 | 44 | 48 | 51 | 53 | 56 | 53 | 56 | 50 |
| Scotland | 27 | 32 | 38 | 48 | 29 | 48 | 44 | 49 | 41 | 43 |
| Northern Ireland | 68 | 67 | 77 | 62 | 63 | 66 | 81 | 84 | 91 | 68 |
| Ireland | 44 | 45 | 57 | 55 | 56 | 48 | 59 | 64 | 69 | 60 |
| Ontario | 44 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 39 | 44 | 37 | 41 | |
| British Columbia | 73 | 55 | 61 | 69 | 53 | 54 | 67 | 56 | ||
| New South Wales | 30 | 36 | 34 | 36 | 24 | 38 | 40 | 47 | 31 | 35 |
| Victoria | 35 | 39 | 37 | 36 | 41 | 36 | 33 | 34 | 46 | 41 |
| Queensland | 31 | 23 | 25 | 22 | 32 | 25 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 35 |
| South Australia | 39 | 39 | 26 | 37 | 27 | 32 | 41 | 21 | 43 | 40 |
| New Zealand | 33 | 40 | 34 | 33 | 41 | 38 | 29 | 50 | 36 | 32 |
| Quebec | 97 | 112 | 88 | 104 | 67 | 101 | 87 | 81 | 95 | 70 |
| France | 576 | 595 | 585 | 544 | 514 | 584 | 538 | 390 | 419 | 415 |
| The Netherlands | 299 | 219 | 248 | 278 | 268 | 250 | 276 | 194 | 184 | |
| Austria | 215 | 232 | 354 | 227 | 206 | 254 | 292 | 351 | 290 | 249 |
| Switzerland | 258 | 238 | 181 | 243 | 280 | 282 | 327 | 227 | 242 | 277 |
| Berlin | 416 | 263 | 252 | 144 | 232 | 163 | 191 | 218 | ||
| Munich | 231 | 177 | ||||||||
| Cologne | 615 | 599 | 349 | 320 | 223 | 420 | 258 | |||
| Bonn | 314 | 365 | 226 | 158 | 357 | 186 | 392 | 136 | 115 | |
| Leipzig | 375 | 189 | 378 | 161 | 157 | 163 | 357 | 344 | ||
| Rostock | 184 | 202 | 197 | 187 | ||||||
| Sweden | 577 | 572 | 455 | 570 | 345 | 365 | ||||
| Catalonia | 404 | 471 | 445 | 375 | 373 | 475 | 335 | 176 | 297 | 422 |
| Italy | 387 | 465 | 422 | 522 | 359 | 309 | ||||
| Poland | 232 | 223 | 301 | 253 | 224 | 263 | 337 | 260 | 213 | 211 |
| Slovenia | 227 | |||||||||
| Israel | 199 | 183 | 199 | 186 | 215 | 201 | 196 | 192 | 185 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 50 | 833 | 328.9 |
| 2024 | 56 | 760 | 294.6 |
| 2023 | 53 | 826 | 322.0 |
| 2022 | 56 | 818 | 310.4 |
| 2021 | 53 | 917 | 334.6 |
| 2020 | 51 | 939 | 349.8 |
| 2019 | 48 | 1,025 | 366.0 |
| 2018 | 44 | 1,152 | 399.6 |
| 2017 | 38 | 1,329 | 444.3 |
| 2016 | 40 | 1,358 | 442.1 |
| 2015 | 35 | 1,428 | 463.7 |
| 2014 | 38 | 1,391 | 453.6 |
| 2013 | 31 | 1,588 | 514.8 |
| 2012 | 29 | 1,796 | 557.7 |
| 2011 | 30 | 1,780 | 554.0 |
| 2010 | 44 | 1,419 | 442.0 |
| 2009 | 48 | 1,274 | 406.5 |
| 2008 | 68 | 978 | 309.7 |
| 2007 | 82 | 715 | 233.6 |
| 2006 | 90 | 599 | 200.2 |
| 2005 | 97 | 530 | 183.9 |
| 2004 | 140 | 372 | 130.1 |
| 2003 | 140 | 352 | 126.3 |
| 2002 | 179 | 241 | 90.1 |
| 2001 | 214 | 186 | 69.4 |
| 2000 | 241 | 166 | 60.8 |
| 1999 | 237 | 172 | 61.1 |
| 1998 | 292 | 126 | 43.6 |
| 1997 | 263 | 145 | 49.5 |
| 1996 | 270 | 138 | 46.6 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Layla in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 2016. First recorded in 1972. Her peak year there: 2020, at 452.3 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Layla per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 2020 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Layla
1 in 208 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Layla.
1 in 688 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Layla.
1 in 175 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Layla.
1 in 459 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Layla.
1 in 140 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Layla.
1 in 127 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Layla.
1 in 143 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Layla.
1 in 166 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Layla.
1 in 138 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Layla.
1 in 124 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Layla.
Middle names for Layla
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Layla Grace
2-1 beats · initials LG
Changes the beat after Layla: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Layla Olivia
2-4 beats · initials LO · Layla slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Layla: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Layla slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Layla Sophia
2-3 beats · initials LS
Changes the beat after Layla: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Layla Maria
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Layla: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Layla Rose
2-1 beats · initials LR
Changes the beat after Layla: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Layla Emily
2-3 beats · initials LE · Layla slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Layla: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Layla slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Layla Julia
2-3 beats · initials LJ
Changes the beat after Layla: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Layla Miriam
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Layla: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Layla
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 459 in Scotland
96% alike: moves with Layla across countries and decades.
1 in 189 in Ireland
96% alike: moves with Layla across countries and decades.
1 in 108 in Scotland
96% alike: moves with Layla across countries and decades.
1 in 132 in Scotland
96% alike: moves with Layla across countries and decades.
1 in 202 in Northern Ireland
96% alike: moves with Layla across countries and decades.
1 in 166 in England and Wales
96% alike: moves with Layla across countries and decades.
1 in 140 in Northern Ireland
96% alike: moves with Layla across countries and decades.
1 in 293 in Scotland
95% alike: moves with Layla across countries and decades.
Famous people named Layla
Layla El.
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British professional wrestler, dancer, and model born 1977
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Layla
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Layla?
Her best rank is No. 32 in New Zealand in 2025. She is in the published lists of 25 of our 40 regions.
What does Layla mean?
Wiktionary glosses Layla as "night".
How do you pronounce Layla?
LAY-luh, with 2 syllables.
Is Layla getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 6 of 24 regions, falling in 3.
Which sister names go with Layla?
The deck's top five sisters for Layla: Zara, Aaliyah, Matilda, Scarlett and Phoebe. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.