Kalila
How to say it: kah-LEE-luh · /kɑˈlilə/
Arabic meaning 'beloved, sweetheart' - feminine form of Khalil, known from Kalila wa Dimna fables.
Kalila was the 1,070th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 52 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up 2.7-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #881 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,070 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 52 |
| Share of births | 1 in 18,944 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | ×2.7 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #881 |
| In France, 2025 | #2,541 among girls’ names, 5 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Kalila is a newcomer: almost all of its history is from the last forty years.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Kali
- Lila
Other spellings
Honouring a Kalila in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Kalila is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Arabic, English, Hebrew.
In France: #2,541 for girls in 2025.
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