Liyla
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "night".
Name Census estimates that about 153 living Americans carry the first name Liyla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Liyla today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Liyla births was 2020 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Liyla. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Liyla with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
153
~ 1 in 2,240,224 Americans
Peak year
2020
14 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,933
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Liyla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Liyla from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 101 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Liyla remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Liyla by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Liyla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Liyla
The name Liyla has its origins in Arabic, deriving from the word "layl" which means "night" or "evening." It is a beautiful and melodic name that evokes a sense of tranquility and serenity associated with the night-time hours.
The earliest recorded use of the name Liyla can be traced back to ancient Arabic literature and poetry, where it was often used as a symbolic representation of beauty, mystery, and the allure of the night. In some Islamic texts, Liyla is also mentioned as a name associated with one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad, further cementing its significance within the Islamic tradition.
Throughout history, the name Liyla has been carried by notable figures across various cultures and regions. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Liyla al-Akhyaliya, a renowned 9th-century Arabic poet from Basra, who was celebrated for her lyrical compositions and her unwavering pursuit of knowledge.
In the 12th century, Liyla Bint al-Majnun, a Persian princess and poet, left an indelible mark on the literary world with her poignant verses and her tragic love story, which has been immortalized in numerous tales and legends.
During the Ottoman Empire, Liyla Sultan, the daughter of Sultan Murad III, was a prominent figure known for her patronage of the arts and her efforts in promoting education and cultural advancement.
In more recent times, Liyla Gültekin, a Turkish painter and ceramist, gained recognition for her vibrant works that celebrated the rich cultural heritage of her homeland. She was born in 1924 and passed away in 2021, leaving behind a legacy of artistic excellence.
Liyla Cavendish, an English author and historian born in 1945, has contributed extensively to the study of ancient civilizations and their cultural traditions, with a particular focus on the Middle East and North Africa.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Liyla throughout history, each leaving an indelible mark on their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human civilization.
People
Liyla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Liyla as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Liyla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Liyla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 153 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Liyla going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,240,224 US residents.
Is Liyla a common name?
We classify Liyla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 154 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Liyla most popular?
The single biggest year for Liyla was 2020, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Liyla is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Liyla in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Liyla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Liyla in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Liyla still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Liyla in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Liyla can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Liyla?
Find out how many Americans are named Liyla on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.