Lela - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Lela

Lela is a petite jewel of a name, most often traced to the Arabic-Persian Leila, “night,” but cherished in Italy as a melodious nickname for Eulalia—“well-spoken.” Picture an evening paseo through Florence: church bells chime, and the name Lela slips through the dusk like a silver note from a street violinist—short, sweet, impossible to forget. In the United States her popularity has twinkled rather than blazed, hovering comfortably inside the Top 1000 every single year since 1880; she’s the reliable little lantern that never quite goes out. Linguists love her clean two-syllable rhythm (LEE-luh), parents appreciate the built-in lullaby sound, and literature buffs recall characters as varied as Faulkner’s spirited Lena Grove—proof that Lela’s broader family of names has long carried tales on its shoulders. Light humor clings to her, too: toddlers can pronounce her without tying their tongues, grandparents can spell her without squinting, and no one ever mistakes her for “Linda” at roll call. For families seeking a name that feels classic yet moon-kissed, Lela offers the perfect notte italiana in just four letters.