Leyla means “night (via the Semitic source of the name)”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a girl's name in Turkish, Uyghur, Azerbaijani and Bashkir and also used in Turkmen.
- Leyla is a name of Arabic origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Bashkir.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 5 letters.
What does Leyla mean?
Leyla is a Turkish female name that came through Ottoman Turkish from Arabic Laylā. Wiktionary traces the Arabic name to a Semitic word for night, the same source as Arabic layl, 'night'; the Turkish entry itself glosses the name as a dark or dark-haired beauty.[1,3,4]
Also glossed as “dark (or dark-haired) beauty”[1]LikelyGloss given in the Turkish definition line without a supporting etymology.
Leyla in Turkish, Uyghur, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Bashkir
What does Leyla mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written Leyla and Leylâ. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “night (via the Semitic source of the name)” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.[1]
What does Leyla mean in Uyghur?
In Uyghur the name is written لەيلا, Leyla (ULY transliteration), Leyligül, لەيلى, Leyli, لەيلىخان, Leylixan and لەيلىگۈل. Here it is glossed as “beloved; pitch-dark”[4]. It is recorded as a girl's name.[4]
What does Leyla mean in Azerbaijani?
In Azerbaijani the name is written Leyla and Ləyla. No separate Azerbaijani gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “night (via the Semitic source of the name)” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.[1]
What does Leyla mean in Turkmen?
In Turkmen the name is written Leýla. No separate Turkmen gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “night (via the Semitic source of the name)” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.
Where does the name Leyla come from?
Arabic, borrowing. Inherited from Ottoman Turkish, from Arabic Laylā.[1]✓ Documented
Arabic, borrowing. The Dictionary of Uyghur Names gives the origin as Arabic.[4]✓ Documented
Arabic, borrowing. Wiktionary traces the name to Arabic لَيْلَى (‘ecstasy of wine’).[1]Likely
Which languages use the name Leyla?
Leyla is used as a given name in Turkish, Uyghur, Azerbaijani, Turkmen 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.
Leyla across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | LeylaLatin LeylâLatin | Girl | same as above: “night (via the Semitic source of the name)” | Documented[1] |
| Uyghur | لەيلاArabic script LeyligülLatin, variant لەيلىArabic script, variant LeyliLatin, variant لەيلىخانArabic script, variant LeylixanLatin, variant لەيلىگۈلArabic script, variant | Girl | “beloved; pitch-dark” | Documented[4] |
| Azerbaijani | LeylaLatin LəylaLatin, variant | Girl | same as above: “night (via the Semitic source of the name)” | Documented[1] |
| Turkmen | LeýlaLatin | Girl | same as above: “night (via the Semitic source of the name)” | Editorial |
| Bashkir | ЛәйләCyrillic | Girl | “ecstasy of wine” | Documented[3] |
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 Leyla
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leyla[1] | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
| Leylâ | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
| لەيلا[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Native spelling |
| Leyla[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Romanization (ULY transliteration) |
| Leyligül[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| لەيلى[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Leyli[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| لەيلىخان[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Leylixan[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| لەيلىگۈل[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Leyla[1] | Azerbaijani | Latin | Native spelling |
| Ləyla[1] | Azerbaijani | Latin | Variant |
| Leýla | Turkmen | Latin | Native spelling |
| Ләйлә[3] | Bashkir | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Läylä[3] | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
Names related to Leyla
Variants and linked names
- LeyligülGirl“beloved; pitch-dark”
Sibling names for Leyla
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 Leyla rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- GülhizUnisex“rose grower”same language (turkish)
- TurannisaGirl“Turkic girl”same language (uyghur)
- “intelligent, capable”same language (uyghur)
- SahibnisaGirl“friend of women”same language (uyghur)
- OyalıUnisex“decorated with lace; delicate”same language (turkish)
- MenggülGirl“happy girl”same language (uyghur)
- AyemxanGirl“days; born on festival (ayem) days”same language (uyghur)
- SuriyeGirl“name of a country”same language (uyghur)
Common questions about Leyla
What does the name Leyla mean?
Leyla means “night (via the Semitic source of the name)”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a girl's name in Turkish, Uyghur, Azerbaijani and Bashkir and also used in Turkmen.
Is Leyla a girl's or a boy's name?
Leyla is recorded as a girl's name. By language: Turkish: girls; Uyghur: girls; Azerbaijani: girls; Turkmen: girls; Bashkir: girls.
Where does Leyla come from?
Leyla is of Arabic origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Leyla?
Leyla is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Azerbaijani, Turkmen 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 Leyla spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Leyla (Latin), Leylâ (Latin), لەيلا (Arabic script), Leyligül (Latin), لەيلى (Arabic script), Leyli (Latin). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Leyla have?
Leyla 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 our editors; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Leyla”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93622593. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: inherited from Ottoman ليلى (Leylâ), from Arabic لَيْلَى; classified as a female given name in the Turkish section; classified as a female given name in the Azerbaijani section; female given name from Arabic which means 'Dark (or dark-haired) beauty' (+7 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “ليلى”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 88965395. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: female given name; from Proto-Semitic *laylay- 'night', also the origin of لَيْل and لَيْلَة; Arabic لَيْلَى ‘ecstasy of wine’
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Ләйлә”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 91985610. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a female given name in the Bashkir section; etymology states: From Arabic لَيْلَى (laylā); listed as a female given name in the Bashkir section; headword of the Bashkir given-name entry (+1 more)
- Uyghur Language. Dictionary of Uyghur Names. Uyghur Language (GitHub: uyghur-language/names), revision 075ed994f116b4b9e06c7d013b4fb880db679883. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: MIT License.
Supports: entry in the Dictionary of Uyghur Names; Uyghur gloss: (1) مەشۇق، (2) قاپقاراڭغۇ; listed as a Uyghur given name (feminine); origin: Arabic (+8 more)
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