Leela
Meaning: “play, charm”
About the name Leela
Leela is a girl name with Sanskrit roots, meaning “play, charm”. It is related to Lila, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a modern, unique feel. In 2025, Leela ranked #1282 for girls in the US, with 175 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 2016. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Leela were girls.
Etymology
A variant of Lila, which comes from Sanskrit, meaning “play, charm”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Leela”, “Lila”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #1282
- In 2015
- #1207
- Babies in 2025
- 175
Popularity of Leela, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Names similar to Leela
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.