Leila, a variant of Layla and the spelling used in the Persian language, is derived from the Arabic word for "night." It was introduced to American speakers through the 19th century poems "The Giaour" and "Don Juan" by Lord Byron. Leila has appeared on the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 for girl names every year since 1900, with the exception of 1968 and 1996, and has now been a top-250 girl's name every year since 2008. It's also the name Bill Gates' daughter Jennifer Gates gave her daughter Leila, born in 2023, and the name "Scrubs" actress Judy Reyes gave her daughter Leila Rey, born in 2009. America's favorite weatherman, Al Roker, also has a daughter named Leila, born in 1998.
