Lyla
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "night" or "dark beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 43,266 living Americans carry the first name Lyla. It sits at #83 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lyla today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lyla births was 2024 (2,944 babies). In terms of living bearers, it sits close to Ted (43,158).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lyla. 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.
Key insights
- • Lyla is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 12 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
43K
~ 1 in 7,922 Americans
Peak year
2024
2,944 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2021 SSA rank
#83
Tracked since 1884
Gender
Gender distribution for Lyla
Out of the 46,190 babies given the name Lyla since 1880, 100.0% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Lyla as a male name
- Ranked #13,327 in 2021
- 5 male births in 2021
- Peak: 2021 (5 births)
Lyla as a female name
- Ranked #83 in 2024
- 2,944 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (2,944 births)
Popularity
Lyla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lyla from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 22,919 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Lyla remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lyla 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 Lyla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lylas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Lyla, while Wyoming, Vermont, District of Columbia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 834 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lyla
The name Lyla has its origins in the Arabic language, stemming from the word "layl" which means "night" or "dark beauty." It is believed to have first emerged in the Middle Eastern region around the 7th century AD.
The name Lyla gained popularity in the Islamic world during the medieval period, particularly in areas such as Persia (modern-day Iran) and the Arabian Peninsula. It was often associated with beauty, grace, and the allure of the night.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Lyla can be found in classical Arabic literature, where it was used as a poetic term to describe a beautiful woman or a beloved. Some scholars suggest that the name may have been inspired by the Arabic word "layali," which means "nights."
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Lyla. One of the earliest was Lyla al-Akhyaliya (c. 640-704 AD), a renowned Arab poet and scholar from the Umayyad era. Her poems celebrated love, nature, and the beauty of the Arabic language.
Another influential figure was Lyla al-Amiria (1240-1309), a powerful Kurdish ruler who governed parts of modern-day Iraq and Iran. She was known for her military prowess and her patronage of the arts and literature.
In the 19th century, Lyla Michaelides (1857-1926) was a Greek writer and feminist who fought for women's rights and education in the Ottoman Empire. Her works addressed the struggles and aspirations of women in her era.
The name Lyla also found its way into the world of music. Lyla Zor (1905-1981) was a renowned Turkish singer and actress who popularized many folk songs and helped preserve the cultural heritage of Anatolia.
In more recent times, Lyla Hay Owen (1925-2000) was a British actress and writer who appeared in several television series and films, including the iconic "Doctor Who" in the 1960s.
While the name Lyla has Arabic roots, it has transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity across various regions and cultures over time. Its association with beauty, grace, and the allure of the night has contributed to its enduring appeal.
People
Lyla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lyla 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
Lyla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lyla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 43,266 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lyla 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 7,922 US residents.
Is Lyla a common name?
We classify Lyla as "Uncommon". It ranks above 99.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 46,190 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lyla most popular?
The single biggest year for Lyla was 2024, when 2,944 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lyla is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lyla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lyla 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.
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.