NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Layal

A feminine Arabic name meaning "night beauty".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Layal is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Layal popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1894, with 15 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 18 births.

This profile covers 178 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 83% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 177 living people in the UK are called Layal. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Layal ranked #1894 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 15 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 18 girls were registered as Layal.
  • About 177 living people in the UK are estimated to have Layal as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1894

2024

Births in 2024

15

Latest year

Peak year

2021

18 births

Estimated living

177

2026

Meaning

What does Layal mean?

The name Layal originates from the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "layl," which means "night." The name Layal is believed to have been in use since ancient times in the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Layal can be found in ancient Arabic poetry and literature. The name was often used to describe the beauty and mystery of the night, likening it to a beautiful woman. In some Arab folklore, Layal was also the name of a legendary princess known for her grace and intelligence.

In the 9th century, there was a famous Arab poet named Layla al-Akhyaliyya, who was renowned for her skill in composing love poems. She was born in Baghdad and lived during the Abbasid Caliphate, a golden age of Arabic literature and culture.

Another notable historical figure with the name Layal was Layal al-Ghazali, a 12th-century Arab scholar and mystic. She was born in Damascus and was known for her contributions to Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam.

In the 20th century, Layal Abdel-Rahman was a prominent Egyptian actress and singer. She was born in 1923 and starred in numerous Egyptian films during the golden age of Egyptian cinema.

Another famous Layal was Layal Murad, a Lebanese singer and actress who rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s. She was born in 1945 and was known for her beautiful voice and captivating stage presence.

Layal Chammaa was a Lebanese artist and ceramist who lived from 1925 to 2005. She was renowned for her innovative use of ceramics and her unique artistic style, which blended traditional Arabic motifs with modern techniques.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Layal over time

The chart below shows babies named Layal registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Layal, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 15 births in 2024, compared with 18 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Layal
0591418199820112024

Decades

Layal by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Layal was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #2067 69 5
2010s #3515 76 10
2000s #4066 30 7
1990s #3848 3 1

Related

Names similar to Layal

FAQ

Layal: questions and answers

How popular is the name Layal in the UK right now?

In 2024, Layal was ranked #1894 for girls in England and Wales, with 15 births registered.

When was Layal most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 18 babies registered as Layal in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Layal?

A feminine Arabic name meaning "night beauty".

How many people are called Layal in the UK?

A total of 178 babies have been registered as Layal across the 23 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.