Lyla is a modern spelling of Lila and Leila and is usually explained through the Arabic Layla as "night", though it is also heard as a form of the Sanskrit Lila, "play". The simplified spelling with a y became popular in the United States in the 2000s alongside Layla and Lilah. Lyla ranked number 1786 in the United States in 2000, entered the top 1000 in 2005, climbed from number 141 in 2015 into the top 100 in 2023 and reached number 80 among girls in 2025, its highest rank yet.