UK girl's name
Leylah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "night" or "born at night".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Leylah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Leylah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3598, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 7 births.
This profile covers 57 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 2002 to 2023. 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 86% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 57 living people in the UK are called Leylah. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Leylah ranked #3598 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 7 girls were registered as Leylah.
- • About 57 living people in the UK are estimated to have Leylah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3598
2023
Births in 2023
6
Latest year
Peak year
2008
7 births
Estimated living
57
2026
Meaning
What does Leylah mean?
The name Leylah is derived from the Arabic language and has its origins in the Middle East and Islamic culture. It is a feminine name that is a variation of the more common Arabic name Layla, which means "night" or "born at night."
The name Leylah first appeared in ancient Arabic literature and poetry, where it was often used as a symbolic representation of beauty and love. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the famous Arabic love story "Layla and Majnun," which dates back to the 7th century.
The earliest recorded use of the name Leylah can be traced back to the 9th century, when it was given to a princess in the Abbasid Caliphate. Throughout the centuries, the name has been associated with various prominent figures in Islamic history and literature.
One notable figure with the name Leylah was Leylah al-Akhyaliya, a 9th-century Arab poetess and singer from Baghdad. She was renowned for her talent and her contributions to the development of Arabic poetry and music.
Another famous Leylah was Leylah Khanum, an 18th-century Persian princess and the daughter of Nader Shah, one of the most powerful rulers of the Afsharid dynasty. She was known for her beauty, intelligence, and influence in the Persian court.
In the 19th century, Leylah Rabia Khanum was a prominent Ottoman Turkish painter and calligrapher. She was one of the first women to receive formal training in the arts in the Ottoman Empire and is recognized for her contributions to the artistic and cultural heritage of the region.
Leylah Masserah, born in 1935, was a renowned Palestinian author and activist. She was known for her powerful writings on the Palestinian struggle for independence and her advocacy for women's rights and social justice.
In more recent times, Leylah Fowler, born in 1942, is an American author and scholar who has written extensively on Middle Eastern literature and culture. Her works have helped to promote a greater understanding of the rich literary traditions of the Arab world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Leylah over time
The chart below shows babies named Leylah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Leylah, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2023, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Leylah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Leylah 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 | #3598 | 6 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4544 | 36 | 8 |
| 2000s | #3563 | 15 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Leylah
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Lauren 50,664
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
FAQ
Leylah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Leylah in the UK right now?
In 2023, Leylah was ranked #3598 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Leylah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 7 babies registered as Leylah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Leylah?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "night" or "born at night".
How many people are called Leylah in the UK?
A total of 57 babies have been registered as Leylah across the 12 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.