Declining since 2006, #9,457 for girls today.
Popularity of Lelah since 1881
Babies named Lelah per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1915, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Lelah's real moment was 1891.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 139 |
| 1890s | 294 |
| 1900s | 211 |
| 1910s | 309 |
| 1920s | 306 |
| 1930s | 173 |
| 1940s | 82 |
| 1950s | 50 |
| 1960s | 42 |
| 1970s | 64 |
| 1980s | 59 |
| 1990s | 30 |
| 2000s | 174 |
| 2010s | 179 |
| 2020s | 75 |
Meaning & origin
Lelah is a name that saw its highest popularity in the late 19th century, peaking in 1891, when it ranked among the more common names of the era. However, by 2006 it entered a steady decline, and as of 2025 it is given to roughly 1 in 160,727 newborns, placing it at rank 9457. The name is most strongly associated with the 1890s, and while it has never vanished entirely, it has not experienced any significant revival. Its roots are debated, but it is almost certainly a variant of the well-known names Leila or Lela, which themselves draw from Hebrew and Arabic origins meaning 'night.' Lelah remains an uncommon choice today, often appealing to parents seeking a vintage or alternative spelling of a classic name.
Lelah is a 19th-century respelling or variant of names like Lelia or Leila. The name likely derives from the Hebrew 'Laylah' meaning 'night' or 'darkness,' or the Arabic 'Layla' meaning 'night' or 'dark beauty.' It emerged in the United States in the late 1800s and saw peak usage in the 1890s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Lee, Lela
Sibling names for Lelah
Names that share Lelah's style, for a brother or sister.
