Kalilah is a spelling of the Arabic Khalila, the feminine of Khalil, which means "beloved" or "dear friend"; Kalila is also the jackal of the classic fable collection Kalila and Dimna. In the United States the name jumped from number 3060 in 2023 to number 1902 in 2024 and ranks number 1678 in 2025, its best so far, with 123 girls.