159+ Names That Mean Night
Searching for baby names that mean night? This page curates 159+ options under "Names That Mean Night for Boys and Girls" to help you explore meaningful choices faster. Meaning-focused naming can bring clarity to the process, especially when your shortlist still feels too broad.
The list is broad enough for exploration but focused enough to keep your shortlist practical and relevant.
The best next step is to test your top picks aloud, compare rhythm with your last name, and trust the names that stay with you.
Popular Names
This chart highlights the top-ranked names that mean night from our curated collection, organized by boys and girls to make comparison easy.
Names That Mean Night for Girls
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Layla derives from Arabic for night and is widely recognized through classical poetry and modern international usage.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Often derived from Arabic Layla meaning night, with modern English spelling variants increasing its contemporary usage.
- Origin:Japanese, Spanish, Basque
- Meaning:"Night Rain; or the End"
- Description:Appears independently in several traditions, including Japanese readings and Iberian place-name usage, yielding multiple etymologies.
- Origin:Hebrew, Arabic
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:From Semitic roots for night, used in Hebrew and Arabic contexts and popularized in modern English-speaking naming.
- Origin:Arabic, Sanskrit
- Meaning:"Night; Play"
- Description:Used in multiple traditions with distinct etymologies, it is valued for brevity and phonological simplicity.
- Origin:Mesopotamian, Hebrew
- Meaning:"Night Spirit"
- Description:Name associated with Mesopotamian and later Jewish folkloric figures, adopted in modern literature and naming with complex cultural connotations.
- Origin:Arabic, Persian
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:From Arabic layla meaning night, it is widespread in the Islamic world and adopted broadly through literary and cultural transmission.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night Beauty"
- Description:An Arabic name associated with night imagery, it gained broader popularity through literature and cross cultural adoption.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:A modern spelling variant of Leila, it is tied to Arabic vocabulary for night and adopted widely in English usage.
- Origin:Arabic, Persian
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Leyla derives from Arabic layl meaning night, widely used in Persian and Arabic poetic traditions and personal names.
- Origin:Arabic, Persian
- Meaning:"Evening Companion"
- Description:Samira is used in Arabic and Persian contexts, traditionally associated with evening talk and companionship.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Laylah is an Arabic name meaning night, widely used and reinforced by poetic and literary associations.
- Origin:Hawaiian, Arabic
- Meaning:"Heavenly Night Beauty"
- Description:Typically explained as an elaboration of Leilani or Layla-based forms, blending night imagery with affectionate aesthetics.
- Origin:Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:A variant of Layla, rooted in Semitic languages and commonly interpreted with the meaning night.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night Journey"
- Description:Arabic name associated with the night journey concept, used in Islamic contexts and as a concise modern given name.
- Origin:Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Typically linked to Semitic roots for night, it appears in Arabic and Hebrew-influenced naming forms.
- Origin:Sanskrit, Arabic
- Meaning:"Song; Night Beauty"
- Description:Used across South Asia and the Middle East, with forms linked to melody or nocturnal beauty in naming traditions.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night; Dark Beauty"
- Description:Variant of Leila and related spellings; generally linked to Arabic layl meaning night, though usage varies regionally.
- Origin:Semitic
- Meaning:"Night Spirit"
- Description:Lillith is a variant of Lilith, a figure from Near Eastern and Jewish folklore associated with night imagery.
- Origin:Arabic, South Asian
- Meaning:"Entertaining Companion At Night"
- Description:Name used in South Asian and Arabic-influenced contexts, often associated with evening conversation and companionship in folk etymologies.
- Origin:Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning:"Night Journeyer"
- Description:Sariya appears in multiple linguistic contexts, including Arabic-derived forms, and interpretations vary across transliteration and regional usage.
- Origin:Arabic, American English
- Meaning:"Night; Darkness"
- Description:Often linked to Arabic layl meaning night, though spelling suggests modern adaptation in English-language contexts.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night Journey"
- Description:Asra is an Arabic name connected to concepts of night travel, and it appears in religious and literary contexts.
- Origin:Swahili, Arabic
- Meaning:"Moon; Moonlike"
- Description:Associated with lunar imagery in African and Arabic-influenced naming, it is used to evoke brightness and calmness.
- Origin:Greek
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Greek mythological name of the personified night, adopted as a concise modern given name with strong symbolic association.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Nights"
- Description:Layal is an Arabic given name meaning nights, often carrying poetic connotations in Arabic-language naming aesthetics.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Companion in Evening Talk"
- Description:An Arabic feminine name linked to companionship and evening conversation, common across several Arabic-speaking and Muslim communities.
- Origin:Arabic, Persian
- Meaning:"Night Companion"
- Description:Often treated as a modern Arabic variant, it is used internationally with a soft, contemporary phonetic profile.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Leylah is a variant of Layla, an Arabic name meaning night, frequently used for its literary and poetic associations.
- Origin:Hawaiian, Polynesian
- Meaning:"Moon"
- Description:Mahina is a Polynesian name, especially Hawaiian, directly associated with the moon and nocturnal imagery.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Laela is generally analyzed as a variant of Layla, from Arabic roots associated with night.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Modern variant influenced by Layla, retaining Arabic associations with night while adopting an English diminutive ending.
- Origin:Arabic, African American
- Meaning:"Moon-like"
- Description:Often linked to Arabic Qamar for moon, adapted in contemporary naming with varied transliterations and pronunciations.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night Journey"
- Description:Israa is an Arabic name referring to the night journey, with strong religious associations in Islamic tradition.
- Origin:Hebrew, English
- Meaning:"Night Creature"
- Description:Lilyth is an English variant of Lilith, a name from Hebrew tradition associated with nocturnal folklore figures.
- Origin:Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning:"Evening Conversation"
- Description:A unisex name in Arabic and related traditions, commonly interpreted as evening conversation or companionship at night.
- Origin:Modern English, Arabic
- Meaning:"Night Song"
- Description:A modern blend of Layla and lynn elements, often interpreted through night related symbolism and contemporary styling.
- Origin:Arabic, Bosnian
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:A Bosnian and broader Balkan form of Layla, it preserves the Arabic meaning associated with night.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night or Darkness"
- Description:Typically treated as a variant of Leila, reflecting Arabic lexical roots and later English spelling adaptation.
- Origin:Arabic, Modern English
- Meaning:"Night or Halo"
- Description:Alylah resembles Arabic layl for night and also parallels Delilah patterns, though its exact intended meaning varies by usage.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night; Dark Beauty"
- Description:Elaborated variant of Layla, ultimately from Arabic usage commonly interpreted as relating to night or darkness.
- Origin:Hebrew, English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Often connected to Hebrew laylah for night, used as a feminine name with variant spellings and modern revival.
- Origin:Sanskrit
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Nisha is a Sanskrit name meaning night, common in South Asia and used in literary and everyday naming contexts.
- Origin:Punjabi, Sanskrit
- Meaning:"Evening Twilight"
- Description:Punjabi usage related to Sanskrit for evening, evoking twilight and the transitional time between day and night.
- Origin:Hebrew, Arabic
- Meaning:"Evening Talk"
- Description:Semira is a Semitic-associated name-form with uncertain exact derivation, sometimes linked to roots involving night and conversation.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Orthographic variant of Layla, ultimately from Arabic for night, adapted into English spelling conventions.
- Origin:Latin, English
- Meaning:"Moon"
- Description:A modern spelling variant of Luna, it draws on Latin moon imagery and is associated with nocturnal symbolism.
- Origin:Vietnamese
- Meaning:"Night-blooming Flower"
- Description:Quynh is a Vietnamese given name associated with a night-blooming flower and poetic symbolism.
- Origin:Sanskrit, Modern English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Nysha appears in South Asian and diaspora contexts and is frequently linked to Sanskrit-derived terms for night.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"The Night"
- Description:A variant of Layla-related forms, preserving the Arabic meaning night while using extended orthography in English contexts.
- Origin:Hebrew
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Lilit is a Hebrew name associated with night and later mythic traditions, used in modern contexts with literary awareness.
- Origin:Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Liylah is a variant spelling of names meaning night, reflecting Semitic roots and contemporary orthographic preferences.
- Origin:Arabic, Modern
- Meaning:"Night Beauty"
- Description:Malayla appears as a modern elaboration related to the Arabic name Layla associated with night and poetic beauty.
- Origin:English, Arabic
- Meaning:"Night; Soft Darkness"
- Description:Lailyn is a modern elaboration related to Layla, ultimately from Arabic for night, with an added diminutive-style ending.
- Origin:Hawaiian, Arabic
- Meaning:"Night Heaven"
- Description:Modern blended form combining Layla night associations with Hawaiian-style elongation and vowel-rich orthography.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night Journey"
- Description:Arabic feminine name associated with Isra, commonly interpreted as night journey and linked to Islamic religious vocabulary and tradition.
- Origin:Persian, Arabic
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:A form of Layla, it is associated with classical love literature and the semantic field of night.
- Origin:Hebrew, English
- Meaning:"Night Creature"
- Description:Variant of Lilith, associated with Hebrew tradition and later literature, often linked to night imagery.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"God gracious; Laurel"
- Description:A modern spelling variant related to Layla or Jayla patterns, with meaning dependent on whether it is linked to night or a phonetic innovation.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Nights"
- Description:An Arabic feminine name meaning nights, derived from a plural form and used poetically in Arabic-speaking and diasporic communities.
- Origin:Arabic, Modern English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:A variant of Layla, extended with -na, maintaining the Arabic association with night and nocturnal imagery.
- Origin:Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Variant of Leila or Layla forms, associated with the Arabic term for night and related Semitic variants.
- Origin:Persian
- Meaning:"Birth or Nativity"
- Description:Persian name associated with Yalda night traditions, interpreted as birth or nativity and connected to midwinter cultural observances.
- Origin:Arabic, Modern English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:A modern spelling variant of Layla, from Arabic for night, widely adopted across languages with phonetic adjustments.
- Origin:Persian, Arabic
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Variant of Leila, a widely used name in Persian and Arabic poetic traditions referring to the night.
- Origin:Hebrew
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Often connected to Hebrew laylah meaning night, used as a concise feminine given name in several communities.
- Origin:Arabic, African
- Meaning:"Moon"
- Description:Derived from terms associated with the moon, it appears across cultures in varied spellings and emphasizes nocturnal imagery.
- Origin:Arabic, Modern
- Meaning:"Night; Dark Beauty"
- Description:Laiyla corresponds to Layla-type Arabic forms, commonly associated with the concept of night in poetic usage.
- Origin:French, Latin
- Meaning:"Little Moon"
- Description:French diminutive associated with lunar imagery, historically used as a poetic given name in Francophone contexts.
- Origin:Hebrew, English
- Meaning:"Night Creature"
- Description:Variant spelling of Lilith, a Hebrew mythological figure associated with night imagery, used as a modern given name.
- Origin:Modern English, Arabic
- Meaning:"Night Journey"
- Description:Mirajane appears to combine Mi'raj-associated Arabic terminology with a Jane element, yielding mixed semantics and modern formation.
- Origin:Arabic, Persian
- Meaning:"Traveler At Night"
- Description:Used in Middle Eastern contexts and may relate to roots denoting night travel, though meanings vary by transliteration.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:An Arabic-derived feminine name associated with night, reflecting a lexical tradition of time-related naming semantics.
- Origin:English
- Meaning:"Knight Meadow"
- Description:Knightley is an English surname used as a given name, combining knight imagery with a locational meadow element.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Laylee is a spelling variant of Layla, an Arabic name meaning night, widely diffused through literature and popular culture.
- Origin:Arabic, English, Spanish
- Meaning:"Night; Dark Beauty"
- Description:Layliana blends Layla-derived night meanings with a Romance-styled ending, producing a contemporary extended feminine form.
- Origin:Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Lillah resembles Semitic forms connected to night and evening, though spellings vary across languages and traditions.
- Origin:Hebrew, Arabic
- Meaning:"Delicate Night"
- Description:A spelling variant of Delilah, historically associated with the night.
- Origin:Arabic, Modern English
- Meaning:"Night; Dark Beauty"
- Description:Variant of Layla, derived from Arabic for night, with altered ending to create a lighter visual profile.
- Origin:Arabic, Persian
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:A variant of Layla, prominent in Arabic and Persian literary traditions, with the core meaning of night.
- Origin:French, English
- Meaning:"Knightly Horseman"
- Description:Often linked to Chevy and Cheviot forms, it is used as a nickname with loosely inferred French-root associations.
- Origin:Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning:"Night Beauty"
- Description:Liela is a lyrical name connected to roots meaning night or evening beauty in several linguistic traditions.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Evening Companion"
- Description:Arabic feminine name associated with evening talk and companionship, derived from roots linked to nocturnal conversation.
- Origin:Arabic, South Asian
- Meaning:"Evening Conversation"
- Description:Samra is an Arabic-derived name associated with evening talk or a night-related quality, also common in South Asia.
- Origin:Nahuatl, Indigenous Mexican
- Meaning:"Star; Bright Celestial Light"
- Description:A Nahuatl-derived given name associated with the night sky, reflecting Indigenous Mexican linguistic heritage.
- Origin:Arabic, American
- Meaning:"Night Rain"
- Description:Often interpreted as a variant of Amaiya or Amaya, with associations to Arabic-rooted nature meanings.
- Origin:Arabic, Modern American
- Meaning:"Night Rain"
- Description:Modern spelling variant associated with Amaya traditions, for which meanings vary; some communities gloss it as night rain.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Knight or Horseman"
- Description:Farris is used as a given name and surname, often linked to Arabic faris meaning horseman or knight.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night; Beautiful"
- Description:A spelling variant related to Layla and Jayla patterns, with meanings commonly associated with night or beauty across traditions.
- Origin:Arabic, Modern English
- Meaning:"Night Beauty"
- Description:Used as a contemporary feminine form associated with Arabic layl, often interpreted as a poetic reference to night.
- Origin:Arabic, Persian
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Variant of Layla or Leila, derived from Arabic for night, with widespread poetic and literary resonance.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night; Dark Beauty"
- Description:Elaborated form related to Leila, blending Arabic-derived roots with English suffixing to create a longer feminine variant.
- Origin:Arabic, Modern English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:A spelling variant of Layla, from Arabic lexical material associated with night and nocturnal imagery.
- Origin:Persian, Arabic
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Leili reflects the well-attested Layla name tradition, commonly associated with night imagery in Persian and Arabic literature.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Laylia reflects Arabic Layla traditions, typically interpreted as night and often associated with poetic and literary naming history.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Variant of Layla, from Arabic for night, often chosen for its literary and poetic associations.
- Origin:Arabic, French
- Meaning:"Night; Beloved"
- Description:Compound name joining Layla and Marie, combining Arabic night imagery with a longstanding French Marian tradition.
- Origin:Hebrew, English
- Meaning:"Night and Gentle"
- Description:Modern blend linking Leila night semantics with English suffixing, producing an affectionate contemporary form with mixed derivation.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night; Dark Beauty"
- Description:Variant of Layla and Leila, from Arabic meaning night, with a decorative spelling that preserves the traditional semantic association.
- Origin:Arabic, Hawaiian
- Meaning:"Night; Heavenly"
- Description:A multicultural form combining Laila night associations with Lana elements, producing a modern feminine name used across communities.
Names That Mean Night for Boys
- Origin:Arabic, Sanskrit
- Meaning:"Evening Companion"
- Description:Arabic name associated with night-time conversation companion; also occurs in South Asia with distinct etymological background.
- Origin:Italian, Germanic
- Meaning:"Famous in the Land"
- Description:Italian form linked to Roland, popularized through medieval romance literature and later English literary influence.
- Origin:Arabic, African American
- Meaning:"Moon-like"
- Description:Often linked to Arabic Qamar for moon, adapted in contemporary naming with varied transliterations and pronunciations.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Morning Star"
- Description:A well documented Arabic name meaning morning star or night visitor, historically borne by notable medieval figures.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Knight or Horseman"
- Description:Arabic name meaning knight or horseman, historically associated with chivalric imagery and widely used across Arabic-speaking regions.
- Origin:French, Welsh
- Meaning:"Pierce the Valley"
- Description:Medieval name associated with Arthurian legend, derived through French forms and linked to debated valley-related etymologies.
- Origin:Arabic, Sanskrit
- Meaning:"Evening Companion"
- Description:Sameer is widely used across Arabic and South Asian communities, commonly interpreted as a companion in evening conversation.
- Origin:Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning:"Evening Conversation"
- Description:A unisex name in Arabic and related traditions, commonly interpreted as evening conversation or companionship at night.
- Origin:English
- Meaning:"Mounted Warrior"
- Description:Occupational surname meaning knight or armored warrior, increasingly used as a given name in contemporary English speaking settings.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Knight"
- Description:Fares is an Arabic name meaning knight or horseman, historically associated with mounted warfare and chivalric ideals.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Morning Star, Night Visitor"
- Description:From Arabic Tariq meaning night visitor, also associated with the morning star, well known through early Islamic history.
- Origin:Latin
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Nox is the Latin word for night and the name of the Roman goddess of darkness.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Morning Star"
- Description:A modern transliteration variant of Tariq, it reflects Arabic usage associated with the morning star and night traveler imagery.
- Origin:Latin
- Meaning:"Of the Night"
- Description:From Latin noctis, it is a learned form meaning of the night and used chiefly in modern contexts.
- Origin:Greek
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Greek mythological name of the personified night, adopted as a concise modern given name with strong symbolic association.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Morning Star; Night Visitor"
- Description:Arabic name from root meaning to knock or visit at night, traditionally glossed as night visitor or morning star.
- Origin:Greek, German
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Used as a concise name associated with Nyx in Greek myth and with Germanic folklore terms for spirits.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Knight or Horseman"
- Description:Farris is used as a given name and surname, often linked to Arabic faris meaning horseman or knight.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Evening Companion"
- Description:From Arabic sāmir meaning one who converses at night, used across the Arab world and adjacent regions.
- Origin:Latin, Modern
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:A stylized form referencing Latin nox for night, with doubled consonants reflecting contemporary graphic naming preferences.
- Origin:Arabic, Urdu
- Meaning:"Ascension"
- Description:Associated with the Islamic concept of ascension, the name appears in Urdu and Arabic contexts with clear religious semantic reference.
- Origin:German
- Meaning:"Knight"
- Description:From German for knight, historically an occupational surname that has occasionally been adopted as a given name in modern usage.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night"
- Description:Layla derives from Arabic for night and is widely recognized through classical poetry and modern international usage.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Knight; Horseman"
- Description:Arabic name denoting a horseman or knight, historically associated with bravery and chivalric ideals.
- Origin:Arabic, South Asian
- Meaning:"Evening Companion"
- Description:From Arabic samir, it denotes an evening companion or storyteller and is common in South Asian usage.
- Origin:Arabic, Modern English
- Meaning:"One who Knocks"
- Description:Often analyzed as a modern variant influenced by Tariq traditions, with meanings linked to knocking or arriving by night.
- Origin:English
- Meaning:"Of a Knight"
- Description:Derived from the English term knight and surname morphology, conveying association with knighthood in a descriptive, nonliteral sense.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Morning Star Visitor"
- Description:Taariq is a variant of Tariq from Arabic meaning morning star or night visitor, historically prominent in Islamic history.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Morning Star"
- Description:Arabic form related to al-Tariq, often glossed as the morning star or night visitor, with Qurʾanic resonance.
- Origin:Hawaiian, Arabic
- Meaning:"Night Beauty"
- Description:May blend influences from Hawaiian Leilani and Arabic layl, producing an interpreted meaning centered on night and beauty.
- Origin:Arabic, English
- Meaning:"Night; Dark Beauty"
- Description:Variant of Leila and related spellings; generally linked to Arabic layl meaning night, though usage varies regionally.
- Origin:Arabic, Sanskrit
- Meaning:"Night; Play"
- Description:Used in multiple traditions with distinct etymologies, it is valued for brevity and phonological simplicity.
- Origin:Sanskrit
- Meaning:"End of Night"
- Description:Nishant is a Sanskrit name commonly interpreted as end of night or dawn, used widely in Indian linguistic communities.
- Origin:Sanskrit
- Meaning:"End of Night"
- Description:A South Asian masculine name from Sanskrit elements, often interpreted poetically as night’s end and associated with dawn imagery.
- Origin:Sanskrit
- Meaning:"Lord of the Night"
- Description:Widely used in South Asia, it derives from Sanskrit elements and carries an honorific association with nocturnal sovereignty.
- Origin:Sanskrit, Indian
- Meaning:"Lord of Night"
- Description:Rakesh is an Indian name from Sanskrit, traditionally interpreted as lord of the night and widely used across North India.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Morning Star"
- Description:Variant spelling of Tariq, an Arabic name historically glossed as morning star or night visitor in lexical sources.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Morning Star"
- Description:A variant transliteration of Tariq, it is associated with celestial reference and historically with travel or arrival at night.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Morning Star"
- Description:A variant transliteration of Tariq, an Arabic name commonly glossed as morning star or one who comes by night.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Night Journey"
- Description:Tahjir resembles Arabic transliteration patterns and is often interpreted with travel or journey-related semantic fields.
- Origin:Arabic
- Meaning:"Morning Star"
- Description:A transliteration variant of Tariq, an Arabic name commonly glossed as morning star or night visitor, with historical prominence.
Why Choose Names That Mean Night?
Starting with names that mean night helps narrow choices quickly without losing depth. It gives you a clear framework while leaving room for personality.

Name Historian & Etymology Expert
Ph.D. in Medieval History from Stanford. Expert in historical naming practices and etymology.