Last updated: March 2026

Character Name

Laila

Meaning — A variant spelling of Layla/Leila, from the Arabic root "l-y-l" meaning night. Laila captures the same connotations of nocturnal beauty, mystery, and intoxicating longing that have made this name one of the most celebrated in Arabic and Persian literary tradition, through the endlessly retold love story of Laila and Majnun.·Arabic origin·Female·LAY-lah

Laila Laila shares the deep romantic resonance of Layla — a name suffused with night, longing, and a beauty that becomes a kind of fate for those who encounter it. Characters named Laila often must reckon with the weight of being desired and mythologized, finding their own interiority in a story that others keep trying to tell for them.

Best genres for Laila

RomanceHistorical FictionLiterary FictionContemporary Fiction

Famous characters named Laila

Laila

Layla and Majnun Nizami Ganjavi

The tribal girl whose name and inaccessibility drive the poet Qays to madness — in Sufi interpretation a symbol of the divine beloved that the soul pursues across every barrier.


Variations & nicknames

LailaLaylaLeilaLyla

Pairs well with

Laila Al-HassanLaila MansourLaila KhalilLaila NasserLaila RashidLaila Aziz

Writing a character named Laila?

Hearth's distraction-free editor helps you develop characters and write every day.

Start writing free

Related names


More Arabic names

Yahya

The Arabic form of John, from the Hebrew "Yochanan" meaning "God is gracious" — though the Arabic form Yahya is derived from the root "y-ḥ-y" meaning to live, giving the sense of "may he live" or "he shall live". In Islam, Yahya is the prophet who corresponds to John the Baptist, who was given his name directly by God and called to prepare the way for Isa (Jesus).

Jibril

The Arabic form of Gabriel, from the Hebrew "Gavri'el" meaning "God is my strength" or "strong man of God", compounded from "gibbor" (strong, mighty) and "El" (God). In Islam, Jibril is the archangel who revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad — the most important angel in Islamic theology and the divine messenger par excellence.

Aziz

From the Arabic root "ʿ-z-z" meaning to be mighty, powerful, or rare and precious — conveying both physical strength and the rarity of the precious. Al-Aziz (The Mighty) is one of the 99 names of God in Islam. As a name for humans, Aziz means "powerful", "dear", "precious", or "beloved", combining strength with preciousness.

Khalid

From the Arabic root "kh-l-d" meaning to be immortal, to endure forever, Khalid conveys eternal glory and undying strength. It is most famously borne by Khalid ibn al-Walid, the brilliant military commander of early Islam known as "the Sword of God" (Sayf Allah).

Zara

A variant of Zahra (Arabic, meaning "radiant, flower") or of the Hebrew "Zerah" (meaning "dawn" or "brightness"). Zara is also used as a form of Sara/Sarah in some traditions. The name combines the radiance connotations of Arabic Zahra with the bright, modern versatility that has made it a popular choice across cultures.

Asiya

From the Arabic root "a-s-y" meaning to console, comfort, or heal — or possibly from a root meaning "to be strong". In Islamic tradition, Asiya bint Muzahim is the wife of Pharaoh who rescues the infant Musa (Moses) from the Nile and raises him in the palace, and is venerated in Islam as one of the four greatest women who ever lived.


Explore more