"night, dark beauty (beautiful night)"
Origin: Arabic (layla) / Hebrew (lila)
Language: English
Lyla
Does Lyla flow with your last name?
Night's most beautiful word
Arabic
Hebrew
English
American
Romantic
Musical
Arabic
Gender Bending
Poetic
Reviewed by the NamingEverything Editorial Team · Updated
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Things to Know About This Name
- strongly coded as female — male bearer may face confusion
The Story of Lyla
Lyla and its variants Layla, Leila, Lila trace back to Arabic layla meaning night — a word that carries beauty rather than darkness, evoking starlit skies and the cool of evening. The 8th-century Arabic poem Layla and Majnun — the tragic love story of Qays and Layla — made this name a symbol of longing and devotion across Persian, Arabic, and Urdu literary traditions for over a millennium. The Hebrew lila shares the same meaning. In English, Eric Clapton's Layla (1970) brought the name to rock and roll, cementing its romantic, aching resonance. For a boy, Lyla is unexpected — and perhaps all the more beautiful for it.
Layla and Lyla entered the US top 100 girls' names around 2010 and have remained popular. Their use for boys is rare and gender-subversive — a night name worn by someone who refuses the conventional path.
The story of Layla and Majnun is considered the Arabic Romeo and Juliet — a tale of impossible love that influenced Sufi poetry, Persian literature, and is still told across the Middle East and South Asia today.
Historical Record
Lyla first appeared in US Social Security records in 2021.
Over 5 babies have been named Lyla in the United States since SSA records began.
Today, Lyla is a new entry on the US charts , currently ranked #32,323 for boy names in the US .
Fun Facts
- Eric Clapton wrote Layla in 1970 inspired by his unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, who was then married to his friend George Harrison — she later married Clapton
- The story of Layla and Majnun by the poet Nizami Ganjavi (1188) is so beloved it is often compared to Romeo and Juliet, and predates Shakespeare by four centuries
Lyla in Other Languages
Urdu
لیلیٰ (Laila)
Arabic
ليلى (Layla)
Hebrew
לֵילָה (Lila)
Persian
لیلا (Leila)
Turkish
Leyla
Popularity Over Time
#32,323
Current Rank
Stable
Trend
New Entry
Based on SSA data 1880–present
Year-by-year popularity data will be available soon.
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Compare Lyla with:
Quick Facts
- Gender
- Boy
- Syllables
- 2
- Popularity Rank
- #32,323
- Total SSA Count
- 5
- Cultural Origins
- Arabic Hebrew English American
- Pronunciation
- Easy
- Formality
- Casual
- Cross-Cultural Ease
- High
Alternative Spellings
Common Nicknames
Ly
Lai
Lee
Middle Name Ideas
Suggested pairings based on syllable flow and style
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Timeless choice, English heritage match, extended 2-3 combo
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Timeless choice, smooth 2-1 syllable flow
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Timeless choice, smooth 2-2 syllable flow
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Timeless choice, smooth 2-2 syllable flow
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Timeless choice, smooth 2-2 syllable flow
-
Timeless choice, English heritage match, extended 2-3 combo
-
Timeless choice, smooth 2-2 syllable flow
-
Timeless choice, English heritage match, extended 2-3 combo
-
Timeless choice, English heritage match, extended 2-3 combo
-
Timeless choice, smooth 2-2 syllable flow
Middle Names
Middle Names for Lyla
5 name pairings with syllable flow tips
Sibling Names
Sibling Match
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Also a Girl Name
Lyla is also used as a girl name, ranked #83.
View Lyla as a girl name →Similar Names
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Frequently Asked Questions About Lyla
What does the name Lyla mean?
"night, dark beauty (beautiful night)" (from Arabic (layla) / Hebrew (lila)). Lyla and its variants Layla, Leila, Lila trace back to Arabic layla meaning night — a word that carries beauty rather than darkness, evoking starlit skies and the cool of evening. The 8th-century Arabic poem Layla and Majnun — the tragic love story of Qays and Layla — made this name a symbol of longing and devotion across Persian, Arabic, and Urdu literary traditions for over a millennium. The Hebrew lila shares the same meaning. In English, Eric Clapton's Layla (1970) brought the name to rock and roll, cementing its romantic, aching resonance. For a boy, Lyla is unexpected — and perhaps all the more beautiful for it.
What is the origin of the name Lyla?
Lyla has Arabic (layla) / Hebrew (lila), Arabic, Hebrew, English, and American origins. In Arabic (layla) / Hebrew (lila), it means "night, dark beauty (beautiful night)".
Is Lyla a boy or girl name?
Lyla is used as both a boy and girl name. As a boy name, it is ranked #32323. As a girl name, it is ranked #83. Lyla is more commonly used as a girl name.
How popular is the name Lyla?
Lyla is currently ranked #32323 in popularity for boy names in the United States.
What are common nicknames for Lyla?
Common nicknames for Lyla include Lai and Lee.
What are good middle names for Lyla?
Popular middle name pairings include Lyla James, Lyla Blue, Lyla Cole, Lyla Ray, and Lyla Grey.
What are good sibling names for Lyla?
Names that pair well with Lyla as siblings include Jasper, Kai, River, Leila, and Zara.
How many syllables does Lyla have?
Lyla has 2 syllables, making it easy to say and remember.
Is Lyla a common or rare name?
Lyla is an uncommon name, ranked #32323 in the US. Its rarity gives it a distinctive, memorable quality.
What boy names are similar to Lyla?
Are there other spellings for Lyla?
Related spellings include Lyle.
About the Name Lyla
Lyla is a boy name with Arabic, Hebrew, English, and American origins . The name means "night, dark beauty (beautiful night)" in Arabic (layla) / Hebrew (lila) .
Is Lyla a boy or girl name? Lyla is used as both a boy and girl name. As a boy name, it ranks #32,323 in popularity. As a girl name, it ranks #83. Lyla is more commonly used as a girl name.
Lyla is currently ranked #32,323 in popularity for boy names in the United States.
The name Lyla has 2 syllables, making it easy to pronounce and remember.
Common nicknames for Lyla include Ly, Lai, and Lee. These shorter forms provide casual alternatives while keeping the elegance of the full name.
Alternative spellings of Lyla include Lyle . Each spelling variation gives the name a slightly different character while preserving its sound and meaning.
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Sources
- U.S. Social Security Administration — National Baby Names Data (popularity rankings and historical trends)
- Behind the Name (etymology and meaning research)
- NamingEverything editorial research and analysis