Leila is the usual English spelling of the Arabic Layla and means "night" or "dark beauty", from laylah. The Persian romance Layla and Majnun made it a byword for devoted love, Lord Byron used it in his poems and Eric Clapton's song Layla brought it to American ears. Leila has been in the US top 1000 all century, peaked at number 205 in 2010 and ranks number 259 among girls' names in 2025.