leilah as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of leilah

What is the meaning of the name leilah ?

The baby name leilah is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈleɪlə/ (LAY-lah); sometimes /ˈliːlə/ (LEE-lah).

leilah is Arabic in Origin.

Leilah is an English-adopted spelling of the Arabic name Layla/Leila (ليلى/ليلا), from layl “night,” often read as “nighttime,” “dark beauty,” or “born at night.” The name is central in Middle Eastern lore through the romance of Layla and Majnun, retold in Arabic and Persian poetry. It entered wider Western use in the 19th century and was later boosted by the 1970 song “Layla,” helping drive modern popularity.

Variants include Layla, Leila, Laila, Leyla, Lejla (Bosnian), and Lajla (Scandinavian), with Leyla standard in Turkish and Leila common in Persian. Diminutives like Lei and Laya appear in some communities. Leilah preserves the classic “LAY-lah” sound while echoing the final -h seen in names like Sarah, lending a classic yet distinctive twist.