Laylah

Laylah is a slightly more fancy form of Layla. Many parents like to tack on that extra “h” at the end for the added flash and flair. Both Layla and Laylah originate from the Arabic female name Leila; in Arabic, “leila” means “night, nocturnal.” In Arabic the names looks like ليلى and has variously been transliterated as Leila, Laila, Leyla and Layla. In the Arab world, this name has a long tradition of being used for baby daughters born at night. It has also come to imply “dark beauty” in reference to the baby’s dark features and/or complexion. Usage of Leila dates back to the Middle Ages mainly inspired by a true Arabian legend of “Qays and Layla” – a romantic tale of unrequited love. In the story, Qays and Layla are two young virgins who fall deeply in love. The outward display of Qays affection, replete with gushing love poetry, caused a titillating scandal within their tribal community. Layla’s father came to regard Qays as a madman and so denied his request for Layla’s hand in marriage (Layla was also kept from seeing Qays). Heartbroken and inconsolable, Qays fled the community and wondered around the wilderness alone chanting his love songs to his lost love Layla. In the end, he succumbed to madness and then death. Eric Clapton learned of this medieval Arabian love story from a friend which inspired him to write the lyrics and music to his iconic song “Layla” (1972). This is essentially how the name was introduced to the English-speaking Western World. Laylah with an “h” was recently coined as an alternate spelling in the U.S.