Leelah as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Leelah

What is the meaning of the name Leelah ?

The baby name Leelah is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced LEE-lah (IPA: /ˈliːlə/).

Leelah is Persian in Origin.

Leelah (pronounced LEE-lah) is a modern English spelling drawing on two well-established name lines. In South Asian languages from Sanskrit lila/līlā, it signifies “play,” “grace,” or the theological “divine play” of the gods; the common transliteration is Leela, which Leelah closely mirrors. In Arabic and Persian, cognate forms Layla/Leila mean “night,” often poeticized as “dark beauty.” The final -h follows English naming conventions that soften or historicize vowel endings, as in Sarah or Norah.

Documented chiefly in late 20th- and early 21st‑century usage, Leelah remains uncommon but familiar through its relatives. It is chosen both as a creative variant of Lila/Leila/Layla and as an alternative spelling of Leela in the South Asian diaspora. Variants and related spellings include Leela, Leila, Layla, Leyla, Lila, Lelah, and Leilah. Depending on the lineage you favor, the name carries the meanings “divine play” or “night/dark beauty,” with an elegant, cross-cultural profile.