Layla

Usually explained as “night” or linked with night’s darkness

Layla is an Arabic girls’ name, written ليلى and usually explained through the idea of night or its darkness. Layla, Laila, Leila and Leyla are ways of representing the Arabic name in Latin letters. The night association gives it a quiet, atmospheric image. Its literary connection is especially rich. Layla is the beloved in the Arabic story tradition of Layla and Majnun, which the Persian poet Nizami retold in the twelfth century. That history adds a romantic resonance while the name itself remains Arabic in origin. Arabic /ˈlajlaː/ has a long final vowel; English /ˈleɪlə/ changes the vowels. The repeated /l/ gives both forms an easy flow. Layla may appeal if you enjoy a lyrical name with a clear literary association: there is tenderness in its sound, while the story gives the choice something more specific than a general romantic style.

Etymology: A Latin-script form of the Arabic feminine name ليلى (Laylā), conventionally linked with night. Its literary life also extends into Persian poetry.