Lyla
Say it: LY-la
GirlMeans usually linked to the Arabic word for night4 letters2 syllables
#138
in Ireland (2025)
#137 with spellings combined
33
babies in 2025
#118
best rank (2023)
323
babies since 2007
Up 327
10-year rank change
Lyla through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33 | #137 |
| 2024 | 36 | #128 |
| 2023 | 40 | #118 |
| 2022 | 30 | #168 |
| 2021 | 27 | #179 |
| 2020 | 20 | #222 |
| 2019 | 17 | #273 |
| 2018 | 26 | #194 |
| 2017 | 18 | #260 |
| 2016 | 15 | #303 |
| 2015 | 9 | #464 |
| 2014 | 10 | #430 |
| 2013 | 10 | #428 |
| 2012 | 6 | #613 |
| 2011 | 5 | #693 |
| 2010 | 7 | #556 |
| 2009 | 8 | #489 |
| 2007 | 6 | #549 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Lyla mean?
Usually linked to the Arabic word for night
A spelling of Leila, from the Arabic name Laylā.
Say it right
LYla
LY-la is the usual Irish way. Some say LAY-la or LEE-la, like Layla and Leila.
The story of Lyla
Lyla is a spelling of Leila, a name that comes from the Arabic Laylā. It is usually linked to layl, the Arabic word for night. Leila reached English through nineteenth-century literature, and Layla, Leila, Laila and Lyla are all forms of the same name.
Its fame in the wider world owes a lot to the old Arabic love story of Layla and Majnun. It grew from poems by Qays, a seventh-century Arab poet whose love for his cousin Layla earned him the nickname Majnun, “the madman”.
Lyla first reached the CSO list in 2007. It has climbed since, and had its best year so far in 2023, with 40 girls and a place at number 118. The CSO counts Layla, Leila and Lila separately. It ranks higher in Northern Ireland, where it was number 71 in 2025.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Lyla (English proper noun)
- Wiktionary: Leila (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Layla (name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Lyla | 33 | 323 |
In Northern Ireland
#71 in 2025 with 29 babies. Best rank #71 (2022); 272 babies since 2006.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.