Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
Love, life, laughter, light – perhaps the loveliest words begin with the letter L. Let’s add your future daughter’s name to the list. Here, we’re exploring girl names that start with L.
Maybe alliterative baby names are a family tradition and you need something to match your new baby’s siblings or surname.
Maybe you just love names beginning with L. Whatever your motive, we hope you find the perfect name right here.
Let’s get started.
What is the most popular L name for a girl?
- Luna. In the U.S. in 2020, the most popular L name for a girl was Luna. That’s according to the Social Security Administration. Luna means ‘moon’, and it was popular in Spain and Italy before going global.
But what about some other popular girl names starting with L?
Popular L names for girls
- Layla. Eric Clapton’s famous song ‘Layla’ took inspiration from the Arabic word for ‘dark’ or ‘night’. In some countries, girls born during the night are often given this name.
- Lily. From the English name of a flower, and a Christian symbol of purity, Lily is a classic L name for girls. And it can be a sweet shortened version of many other names like Lillian or Lilith.
- Leah. A name of Hebrew origin, it means ‘weary’ or ‘delicate’. Don’t let that put you off though. It’s a lovely, simple L name that has stood the test of time.
- Lillian. An English name that’s seeing a serious revival, Lillian means ‘lily’. And (as of 2020 in the U.S.) it’s the fifth most popular female name that starts with L.
- Lucy. Meaning ‘light’ or ‘of light’ and often given to girls born at dawn, Lucy is an enduringly popular L name.
- Leilani. Of Hawaiian origin, Leilani means ‘heavenly child’.
- Lydia. From the Greek meaning ‘beautiful or noble one’, it’s an ancient name that’s still a favorite.
- Liliana. The Spanish and Italian equivalent of Lillian, it has a beautiful Latin vibe.
- Lyla. Similar to Layla, Lyla is an Arab name meaning ‘night’ or ‘dark beauty’.
- London. No one quite knows the meaning of the word London, but it’s a great choice if you’re looking for unique girl names that start with L.
- Londyn. A popular American variation on the name of the English capital city.
- Lucia. A Latin equivalent of the English Lucy. It means ‘light’, and is popular across the Mediterranean and in Spanish-speaking countries worldwide.
- Leila. A popular alternative spelling of the Arabic word for ‘night’.
- Laila. Another variation of Leila, Layla, or Lyla.
- Lila. A testament to its popularity these days, this is yet another variation of Layla.
- Lilly. Add an extra ‘l’ to the name of the flower and you get Lilly. In some families, this is also a shortened form of Elizabeth.
- Lauren. As with the male name Laurence, no one can agree what the name Lauren actually means. You might hear ‘honor’ or ‘wisdom’, it could be the ancient city known as Laurentum or even the laurel plant.
- Lilah. ‘Night’.
- Lola. Short for Dolores, Lola means ‘sorrows’, but it’s still a lovely girls’ name.
- Lena. Thought to be short for Helena, Lena means ‘beautiful’ or ‘bright’.
- Lucille. A French name meaning ‘light’.
- Lia. Conventionally meaning ‘bearer of good news’, Lia can be an alternative form of Leah.
- Leia. In Hawaiian, Leia means ‘child of heaven’, but it’s also similar to the Hebrew name Leah.
- Lennon. From the Irish meaning ‘blackbird’ or ‘lover’.
- Logan. A Scottish name meaning ‘little hollow’.
- Lilliana. An alternative spelling of Liliana, meaning ‘lily’.
- Laura. This L name for girls is an alternative form of Lauren.
- Lainey. A variation on Elaine, it could mean ‘sun ray’.
- Lexi. Short for Alexandra, it comes from the Greek meaning ‘defender of man’.
- Lana. Lana probably comes from the Irish word used to refer to a child (and famously it’s the stage name of singer Lana Del Rey).
- Leighton. An English place name, it means ‘town by the meadow’.
- Luciana. Another girls’ name meaning ‘light’.
- Lyric. A modern American girl’s name referring to the words of a song. One of the more unique baby girl names that start with L.
- Liana. Meaning ‘she who embraces’.
- Leona. The female form of the name Leo, meaning ‘lion’.
- Legacy. ‘Inheritance’ – it’s another modern American name.
- Lorelei. The name for a rocky part of a German river, where a Siren sang to sailors to lure them to their deaths. This eerie story aside, it’s a beautiful girls’ name.
- Lorelai. An alternative spelling of Lorelei.
- Lyra. A constellation and a girls’ name with ancient Greek origins, the word comes from the old instrument, the lyre.
- Leyla. From the Arabic meaning ‘night’ or ‘black’.
- Lennox. A Scottish family name, it’s thought to mean ‘elm grove’.
- Leslie. Of Gaelic roots, it means ‘garden of holly trees’.
- Liberty. The English word for ‘freedom’, it’s a modern L name for girls.
- Lilian. An alternative spelling of Lillian, meaning ‘lily’.
- Laney. It could come from Elaine, the English word ‘lane’, or a shortened version of Helena. It’s a lovely L name whichever root you prefer.
- Liv. Sometimes short for Olivia, Liv is also a Norwegian name meaning ‘shelter’ or ‘protection’.
- Laurel. The name for the laurel tree, it often symbolizes victory.
- Lina. Meaning ‘sunlight’, Lina can also be short for Angelina, Carolina, or other names with a similar ending.
- Louise. From the French meaning ‘famous warrior’.
- Lara. A popular alternative to either Laura or Clara.
- Lauryn. An alternative spelling of Lauren, popularized by Lauryn Hill.
- Lacey. ‘Someone from the town of Lassy’.
- Lille. The name of the French city probably comes from the word for ‘island’.
- Louisa. Like Louise, a ‘famous warrior’.
- Lyanna. A character in Game of Thrones.
- Leilany. ‘Heavenly flower’ in Hawaiian.
- Livia. In Latin, ‘someone of the Livius family’, but it could be a sweet way to shorten Olivia too.
- Linda. From the Latin meaning ‘beautiful’ or ‘pretty’.
- Lilianna. Another name for the Lily flower. An alternative spelling is Lilyana.
- Landry. From the French for ‘land ruler’.
- Leanna. Like Leanne, it means ‘gracious’ and ‘merciful’.
- Lexie. Short for Alexandra, meaning ‘defender of man’.
- Layne. A variation on the English word meaning ‘path’ or ‘road’. It makes a lovely girl name that starts with L.
- Loretta. A sweet alternative to Lauren or Laura.
- Luella. A modern mix of the names Lou and Ella.
Did you find a name you love? If you’re still looking, or if you’re team yellow and waiting until your baby is born to find out their sex, you might be interested in our list of baby boy names that start with L.
Happy choosing!
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