UK girl's name
Lylla
A feminine English name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Lila.
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.
Lylla is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lylla popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3015, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 15 births.
This profile covers 23 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2023 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 53% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 23 living people in the UK are called Lylla. 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
- • Lylla ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 15 girls were registered as Lylla.
- • About 23 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lylla as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3015
2024
Births in 2024
8
Latest year
Peak year
2023
15 births
Estimated living
23
2026
Meaning
What does Lylla mean?
The name Lylla has its origins in ancient Greek, where it was derived from the word "lyllos," meaning "distorted" or "twisted." It was often used to describe something that was misshapen or deformed. The earliest known recorded use of the name dates back to the 4th century BC, when it appeared in a Greek play by the playwright Aristophanes.
In ancient Greek mythology, Lylla was the name of a nymph who was said to have been turned into a twisted tree by the gods as punishment for her vanity. This mythological reference may have contributed to the name's association with deformity or distortion.
During the Byzantine era, which lasted from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Lylla was occasionally used as a feminine name among Greek-speaking populations. However, it remained relatively uncommon and was often associated with physical imperfections.
One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Lylla was a Greek poet who lived in the 3rd century BC. She is known for her work in the genre of lyric poetry, which was popular at the time.
Another notable Lylla was a Byzantine princess who lived in the 10th century AD. She was the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Basil I and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time.
In the 12th century, a woman named Lylla was a prominent figure in the court of the Norman king William II of Sicily. She was known for her influential role in the kingdom's political affairs.
During the Renaissance period, the name Lylla resurfaced in Italy, where it was sometimes used as a shortened form of the name Lylla Bella, which means "beautiful twisted one" in Italian. One notable Italian bearer of the name was Lylla Piccolomini, an Italian noblewoman who lived in the 16th century.
In the 19th century, a French poet named Lylla Leroy gained recognition for her work in the Romantic movement. She was born in 1820 and is remembered for her emotive and evocative poetry.
While the name Lylla has been used throughout history, it has remained relatively uncommon, perhaps due to its association with deformity or imperfection in its ancient Greek origins.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lylla over time
The chart below shows babies named Lylla registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2023 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 Lylla, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 15 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lylla by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lylla 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 | #2439 | 23 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Lylla
- 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
Lylla: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lylla in the UK right now?
In 2024, Lylla was ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.
When was Lylla most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 15 babies registered as Lylla in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lylla?
A feminine English name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Lila.
How many people are called Lylla in the UK?
A total of 23 babies have been registered as Lylla across the 2 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.