Lila hums. The name lives in several traditions at once: a Sanskrit word for the divine play of creation, an Arabic cousin of Layla meaning night, a Persian whisper for the color lilac. In English it arrives light-footed, two syllables with a soft double-L that asks to be said slowly. American parents have been rediscovering Lila since the early 2000s, and it now rests comfortably in the top 250. It feels literary without being starchy, vintage without the dust. A name for a daughter who will read in trees and name her cats after poets.
Popularity
1880 to today
US SSA data. Lower rank number means more popular. A flat line at the top of the chart means the name did not rank in the top 1000.
Nicknames
No common nicknames.
Famous people
None notable in our records yet.
In fiction
No fictional associations tracked.
Sibling name ideas
- Molly
- Ana
- Gemma
- Mackenzie
- Jasmine
Similar energy
- Molly
- Ana
- Gemma
- Mackenzie
- Jasmine
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Molly
Falling· girl
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Ana
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Gemma
Steady· girl
From Italian and Latin, 'precious stone' or 'gem'
Mackenzie
Falling· girl
From Gaelic MacCoinnich, 'son of the handsome one'
Jasmine
Falling· girl
From Persian yasamin, the jasmine flower