Layla means "night" in Arabic. It became popular in English following the release of the 1970 song Layla by Derek and the Dominos, which was inspired by the 12th century Persian poem LaylaandMajnun,itselfbasedonanolderArabstory. Thename’spopularityrosesteadily throughout the early 2000s, although it has begun to taper off somewhat in recent years.