Girl name
Leila name meaning
“a name associated with night and darkness”
Leila is a name associated with night and darkness. It comes from Arabic Laylā and is related to layl, meaning night. In Türkiye, it is a feminine given name. The Turkish spelling Leyla belongs to the same name family and recalls the literary story of Layla and Majnun.
What does Leila mean?
A name associated with night and darkness
In Turkish: geceyle, gecenin karanlığıyla bağlantılı ad
Leyla's strongest Turkish literary association is the story of Leyla and Mecnun. Fuzûlî's verse narrative connects it with love, separation, and an elusive beloved. This literary layer is distinct from its night-related origin; Leylâ is a spelling that marks the historical long vowel.
Origin of the name Leila
Leyla comes from Arabic Laylā and is associated with layl, meaning night. Interpretations involving dark-haired beauty develop the name's night imagery rather than giving a precise literal translation.
| Linguistic origin | Arabic |
|---|---|
| In Turkic history and myth | Names from Turkic epics |
| Is Leila in the Quran? | No |
| Starts with | L · Le |
How to pronounce Leila
| Syllables | 3 · 5 letters · 5-letter girl names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /leila/ |
| Ottoman Turkish | لیلى |
| Arabic | ليلى |
Is Leila a girl’s name?
Yes, Leila is used mostly as a girl’s name. See all girl names.
Leila does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025).
Spellings and similar names
The same name in other spellings (e.g. Ahmet and Ahmed):
Names that sound like Leila
Names with related meanings
FAQ about the name Leila
What is the meaning of Leila?
Leila means “a name associated with night and darkness”. Leyla comes from Arabic Laylā and is associated with layl, meaning night. Interpretations involving dark-haired beauty develop the name's night imagery rather than giving a precise literal translation.
Is Leila a girl’s name?
Yes, Leila is used mostly as a girl’s name.
Is Leila in the Quran?
No. Neither the name Leila nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name Leila?
Leila is of Arabic origin.
How many syllables does Leila have?
Leila has 3 syllables and 5 letters.
How popular is the name Leila?
Leila does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025).
What are other spellings of Leila?
Other spellings: Leyla.
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm11900 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake