Lylah
LY-lah
Lylah is a creative respelling of Lila or Leila, tracing to the Arabic layl (ليل), meaning “night.” The name evokes darkness and beauty, long celebrated in Arabic and Persian poetry.
The original Layla gained fame through the 7th-century Arabic love story of Qays and Layla, one of the great romances of Middle Eastern literature. This tale influenced Persian, Turkish, and Urdu literary traditions for centuries.
Lylah ranks No. 544 in 2024 with 555 births, its highest position. It rides the wave of the broader Layla/Lila name family’s sustained popularity.
What the name Lylah means
Eric Clapton’s 1970 song Layla introduced the Arabic name to Western rock audiences. The various spellings—Layla, Lyla, Lila, Lylah—each carve a slightly different niche.
Two syllables—LY-luh—produce a lilting, soft sound. The y spelling adds visual distinctiveness while preserving the flowing, nocturnal quality of the original.
Parents choosing Lylah want the beloved Layla sound with a unique visual signature. The -ah ending adds a breath of femininity that the standard Lyla lacks.
The extended variant family includes Layla, Leila, Lyla, Lila, and Lilah. Each traces to the same Arabic root describing the beauty of the night.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Lylah - similar names
Not seeing what you want? Browse all names by origin or popularity