Leila means “night”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a girl's name in Kazakh and also used in Tatar and Bashkir.
- Leila is a name of Arabic origin.
- It is recorded for Kazakh, Tatar and Bashkir.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 5 letters.
What does Leila mean?
Literal meaning
Leila is a girl's name used in Bashkir and Tatar. It means “night”. Its elements are Arabic in origin.
Leila in Kazakh, Tatar and Bashkir
What does Leila mean in Kazakh?
In Kazakh the name is written Лейла. No separate Kazakh gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “night” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.[1]
What does Leila mean in Tatar?
In Tatar the name is written Ләйлә and Leila (common romanization). No separate Tatar gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “night” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.
What does Leila mean in Bashkir?
In Bashkir the name is written Ләйлә and Leila (common romanization). No separate Bashkir gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “night” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.
Where does the name Leila come from?
Arabic, borrowing. From Arabic.Editorial (Meaning from TurkicNames' editorial research; not yet linked to a cited source.)
Which languages use the name Leila?
Leila is used as a given name in Kazakh, Tatar and Bashkir. Its origin is Arabic. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
Leila across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakh | ЛейлаCyrillic | Girl | same as above: “night” | Documented[1] |
| Tatar | ЛәйләCyrillic | Girl | same as above: “night” | Editorial |
| Bashkir | ЛәйләCyrillic | Girl | same as above: “night” | Editorial |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of Leila
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leila[1] | Latin spelling | Latin | Romanization (KazPER English romanization) |
| Лейла[1] | Russian-language spelling | Cyrillic | Variant |
| Лейла[1] | Kazakh | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Ләйлә | Tatar | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Leila | Tatar | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Ләйлә | Bashkir | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Leila | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
Sibling names for Leila
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Leila rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- AlbanBoy“Albanian (person from Albania)”same language (kazakh)
- AzharkhanGirl“appearance + khan (ruler over various Turkic and Mongol peoples in the Middle Ages)”same language (kazakh)
- ZukhraGirl“Venus; radiant, bright”same language (kazakh, tatar, bashkir)
- UkiBoy“eagle owl”same language (kazakh)
- BibikhanymGirl“noble lady”same language (kazakh)
- NurjanBoy“light + soul”same language (kazakh)
- MamykGirl“soft down, fluff”same language (kazakh)
- GabdrakhmanBoy“servant of the Merciful”same language (tatar, bashkir)
Common questions about Leila
What does the name Leila mean?
Leila means “night”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a girl's name in Kazakh and also used in Tatar and Bashkir.
Is Leila a girl's or a boy's name?
Leila is recorded as a girl's name. By language: Kazakh: girls; Tatar: girls; Bashkir: girls.
Where does Leila come from?
Leila is of Arabic origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Leila?
Leila is recorded for Kazakh, Tatar and Bashkir. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is Leila spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Лейла (Cyrillic), Ләйлә (Cyrillic). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Leila have?
Leila has 2 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 5 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by a fixed template filled with our editorial data; source texts are not copied.
- Rustem Yeshpanov. KazPER Kazakh person-name list. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Supports: listed as a kazakh given name (feminine) in KazPER Kazakh person-name list; spelling Leila recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list; spelling Лейла recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list; spelling Лейла (kazakh) recorded in KazPER Kazakh person-name list
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