NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Layan

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "soft and gentle".

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.

Layan is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Layan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #383, with 113 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 113 births.

This profile covers 810 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 2003 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.

Layan is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 833 living people in the UK are called Layan. 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

  • Layan ranked #383 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 113 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 113 girls were registered as Layan.
  • Layan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #638 in 2024.
  • About 833 living people in the UK are estimated to have Layan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#383

2024

Births in 2024

113

Latest year

Peak year

2024

113 births

Estimated living

833

2026

Meaning

What does Layan mean?

The name Layan originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Middle Eastern and North African regions. It is derived from the Arabic word "layyin," which means "soft" or "gentle." The name is believed to have been in use since ancient times, possibly dating back to the pre-Islamic era in the Arabian Peninsula.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Layan can be found in ancient Arabic poetry and literature. It was often used as a descriptive term to describe a person's gentle and kind demeanor. However, it is unclear when exactly the word transitioned from being a descriptive term to becoming a proper name.

In the Islamic tradition, there are no direct references to the name Layan in religious scriptures such as the Quran or Hadith. However, the meaning of the name aligns with the values of kindness, compassion, and gentleness, which are highly regarded in Islamic teachings.

One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Layan was Layan bint Yahya al-Ghassani, a renowned Arabian poet who lived in the 7th century AD. She was celebrated for her eloquent poetry and her contribution to the preservation of the Arabic literary tradition.

Another notable figure with the name Layan was Layan al-Amiri, a 10th-century Islamic scholar and writer from Persia. She was known for her expertise in various fields, including literature, philosophy, and theology.

In the 12th century, Layan al-Din al-Qazwini was a prominent Persian physician and philosopher. He made significant contributions to the field of medicine and wrote several influential treatises on various medical and philosophical topics.

During the 14th century, Layan al-Mawsili was a renowned Iraqi calligrapher and artist. Her intricate calligraphic works were highly regarded and adorned the walls of mosques and palaces throughout the region.

In more recent history, Layan Ghazzawi was a Syrian artist and activist who lived in the 20th century. She was known for her vibrant paintings that depicted the struggles and resilience of the Syrian people during times of conflict and turmoil.

While the name Layan has its roots in the Arab world, it has since gained popularity across various cultures and regions, transcending its geographic and linguistic boundaries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Layan over time

The chart below shows babies named Layan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 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 Layan, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 113 births in 2024, compared with 113 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Layan
0285785113200320132024

Decades

Layan by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Layan 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 #496 424 5
2010s #1148 331 10
2000s #3008 55 7

Geography

Where Layan is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Layan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Layan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #638 in 2024.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Layan in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#638 in 2024

6 years of NRS records, 27 total registered

Related

Names similar to Layan

FAQ

Layan: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Layan was ranked #383 for girls in England and Wales, with 113 births registered.

When was Layan most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 113 babies registered as Layan in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Layan?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "soft and gentle".

How many people are called Layan in the UK?

A total of 810 babies have been registered as Layan across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 27 more in Scotland.

Where is Layan most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Layan ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #638 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.