Laila
Leila (Arabic: لَيْلَى, Hebrew: לילה, Syriac: ܠܹܠܝܵܐ), also spelt Layla, is a feminine given name of Arabic origin. It is popular in the Middle East, including Arabic-speaking countries, Iran, Turkey, and Palestine, as well as the Nordic countries, India and Anglosphere. In the Latin alphabet, the name is commonly spelled in multiple ways, including Leila, Layla, Laylah, Laila, Leyla, and Leylah.
Laila comes from the Arabic word layl (لَيْل), which means "night", or "dark".
The story of Qays and Layla or Layla and Majnun is based on the romantic poems of Qais Ibn Al-Mulawwah (Arabic: قيس بن الملوح) in 7th century Arabia, who was nicknamed Majnoon Layla (مجنون ليلى), Arabic for "madly in love with Layla", referring to his cousin Layla Al-Amiriah (ليلى العامرية). His poems are considered the paragon of unrequited chaste love. They later became a popular romance in medieval Iran, and use of the name spread accordingly. The name gained popularity further afield in the Persianate world such as Iran and Pakistan also amongst Turkic peoples and in the Balkans and India.
The Indian name is Leela or Lila, and is of Sanskrit origin and related to Hindu religion and philosophy. The name in Sanskrit translates to "play" or "divine play". It can also mean "act of God". Leela is also associated with the Hindu goddess Durga. The concept of "Leela" is rooted in Hindu philosophy and cosmology. The most famous example is "Ramleela", related to Lord Ram and "Rasleela", related to Lord Krishna. Layla or Leila, although similar sounding to Leela, have no connection to the name and its origin. Leela/Lila is of Sanskrit origin, and Leila is of Arabic origin. The word "Leela" and "Leila" have different origins, meanings and cultural significance, though they are phonetically similar.
In the Nordic countries Laila or Lajla is derived from the Sami name Láilá, the Sami variant of Helga which means "holy".
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