Layla vs Willow
Layla and Willowcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Layla was ranked #50 and Willow #6 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Layla was ranked #56 and Willow #21 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Layla was ranked #35 and Willow #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Layla was ranked #41 and Willow #29 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Layla was ranked #91 and Willow #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Layla was ranked #60 and Willow #58 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Layla and Willow over time
Layla and Willow appear together in 5 published lists, across 101 years of shared records. Willow held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Layla in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Layla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Willow in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Willow moved ahead of Layla in England and Wales · Girls — #35 and #41 the year before became #40 and #32.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Layla and Willow changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 2007 and 2024, ending at #91 and #44.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Layla #24 in 2020, Willow #10 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Layla held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Willow in 9.
Highest recorded here: Layla #29 in 2012, Willow #9 in 2023.
The order changed in 2016: Willow moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #35 and #41; by 2016 that had become #40 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Layla #56, Willow #21.
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 2003–2025
Layla held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Willow in 8.
Highest recorded here: Layla #44 in 2016, Willow #29 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Layla #60, Willow #58.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2007–2024
Layla held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Willow in 10.
Highest recorded here: Layla #62 in 2019, Willow #24 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Layla #91, Willow #44.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls17 shared years, 2009–2025
Layla held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Willow in 10.
Highest recorded here: Layla #24 in 2020, Willow #10 in 2022.
The order changed in 2017: Willow moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #30 and #31; by 2017 that had become #36 and #21.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Layla #35, Willow #23.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2010–2023
Layla held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Willow in 14.
Highest recorded here: Layla #29 in 2022, Willow #5 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Layla #50, Willow #6.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Layla | Willow |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Means 'night' in Arabic. | From the name of the willow tree, ultimately from Old English 'welig' — an English nature/word name. |
| Origin | Arabic | English, a modern nature name from the willow tree |
| Pronunciation | /ˈleɪlə/ | /ˈwɪl.oʊ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #35 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Layla is recorded with a Arabic origin, while Willow is recorded with a English, a modern nature name from the willow tree origin.
- Layla and Willow both have 2 syllables.
- Layla's recorded meaning differs from Willow's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Layla
Popularity journey
First recorded1983
First recorded at #529 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2004–2025
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2020 (recorded 2004–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #35 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Willow
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #891 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New Zealand, in 2020 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls