Girl Names That Start With L
L might be the most melodic letter for girls. The liquid “l” sound flows into whatever follows, which is why Luna, Lily, Layla and Lucy feel so soft and why L names turn up all over the US charts. It’s also a letter rich in light: Lucy, Lucia, Lucille and Lux all come from Latin lux.
This page lists more than 100 girl names that start with L, grouped by style with real meanings and origins. If you love the “light” theme, visit names that mean light next. Compare letters with girl names that start with K and M, or find a sibling in boy names that start with L.
Popular girl names that start with L
L names you’ll hear often — several are fixtures of recent SSA top-50 lists.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Luna | Moon; Roman goddess of the moon | Latin |
| Layla | Night | Arabic |
| Lily | The lily flower, a symbol of purity | English |
| Lucy | Light | Latin |
| Leah | Weary; possibly “wild cow” (Genesis 29) | Hebrew |
| Lillian | Lily; possibly from Elizabeth | English |
| Lainey | Light (short for Elaine) | English |
| Leilani | Heavenly flowers | Hawaiian |
| Lydia | Woman from Lydia, in Asia Minor | Greek |
| Lila | Night (Arabic); play (Sanskrit) | Arabic / Sanskrit |
| Liliana | Lily | Italian / Spanish |
| Londyn | From London | American |
| Leila | Night | Arabic / Persian |
| Lucia | Light | Italian / Spanish |
| Lyla | Night (variant of Layla) | American |
| Laura | Laurel, bay tree | Latin |
| Logan | Little hollow | Scottish |
| Lennon | Lover, sweetheart (from Ó Leannáin) | Irish surname |
Vintage L names for girls
L names from the late 1800s and early 1900s that are ready for a second life. Browse old-fashioned girl names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Louisa | Famous warrior | Germanic (via Latin) |
| Lottie | Free woman (short for Charlotte) | English |
| Lucille | Light | French |
| Loretta | Laurel | Italian |
| Lorraine | From Lorraine, the French region | French |
| Lois | Better, desirable (2 Timothy 1:5) | Greek |
| Lucinda | Light | Latin |
| Lettie | Joy, gladness (short for Letitia) | English |
| Lenora | Light (form of Eleanor) | English |
| Lula | Famous warrior (short for Louise) | English |
| Leona | Lion | Latin |
| Louise | Famous warrior | French |
| Lorna | Invented by R. D. Blackmore for Lorna Doone (1869) | Scottish |
| Lavinia | Woman of Rome; mythical wife of Aeneas | Latin |
| Linda | Pretty (Spanish); soft (Germanic) | Spanish / Germanic |
| Leola | Lion | English |
| Letitia | Joy, gladness | Latin |
Elegant and romantic L names
Graceful, flowing L names from France, Italy and literature. Find more in elegant girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Lorelei | Luring rock; siren of the Rhine | German |
| Liliane | Lily | French |
| Leonie | Lion | French |
| Leonora | Light (Italian form of Eleanor) | Italian |
| Lucienne | Light | French |
| Lisette | God is my oath (from Elisabeth) | French |
| Laurel | The laurel tree, symbol of victory | Latin |
| Luciana | Light | Italian / Spanish |
| Lorena | From Lorraine; laurel | Spanish |
| Ludovica | Famous warrior | Italian |
| Laetitia | Joy | Latin / French |
| Lucrezia | Wealthy, profit | Italian |
Unique girl names starting with L
Less common L names with real history behind them. See unique girl names and rare girl names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Linnea | Twinflower, named for botanist Linnaeus | Swedish |
| Liesel | God is my oath (German diminutive of Elisabeth) | German |
| Lux | Light | Latin |
| Lyra | Lyre; a northern constellation | Greek |
| Lumi | Snow | Finnish |
| Liora | My light | Hebrew |
| Lowri | Laurel (Welsh form of Laura) | Welsh |
| Lavender | The fragrant purple herb | English |
| Lark | The songbird | English |
| Leocadia | Bright, clear | Greek (via Spanish) |
| Livia | Envious, or bluish (Roman clan name) | Latin |
| Lilou | Nickname for Louise or Lily | French |
| Linden | The linden (lime) tree | English |
| Loveday | Day of reconciliation | Cornish |
| Lumen | Light | Latin |
| Lilia | Lily | Latin |
Short L names for girls
Short, sweet and easy to spell — and many make great middle names. See short girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Lea | Weary (variant of Leah) | French / Hebrew |
| Liv | Life; protection | Scandinavian |
| Lou | Famous warrior (short for Louise) | French / English |
| Lana | Rock (Irish); wool (Latin) | Irish / Latin |
| Lina | Tender, delicate (Arabic); short for Carolina | Arabic / European |
| Lexi | Defender of the people (short for Alexandra) | Greek |
| Lola | Sorrows (from Dolores) | Spanish |
| Lizzie | God is my oath | English |
| Lise | God is my oath | French / Danish |
| Lulu | Pearls (Arabic); famous warrior (short for Louise) | Arabic / English |
| Lane | A narrow road | English |
Nature and celestial L names
Flowers, trees and skies beginning with L. More in nature names for girls.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Lilac | The purple-flowering shrub | Persian |
| Lotus | The sacred water flower | Greek (via Latin) |
| Lupine | The spiky wildflower | Latin |
| Luz | Light | Spanish |
| Lyric | Words of a song | Greek |
| Linnet | A small songbird | English |
| Lunaria | Moonwort; the “honesty” plant | Latin |
| Larkspur | The spiky blue delphinium | English |
L names from around the world
International L names with genuine roots in their home cultures.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Laila | Night | Arabic / Finnish |
| Lakshmi | Mark, sign; Hindu goddess of fortune | Sanskrit |
| Lan | Orchid | Vietnamese / Chinese |
| Leilah | Night | Persian |
| Lucja | Light | Polish |
| Lieke | Light, bright | Dutch |
| Ljubica | Love; also violet flower | Serbian / Croatian |
| Lalita | Playful, charming | Sanskrit |
| Lusine | Moon | Armenian |
| Lindiwe | Waited for | Zulu |
| Lucía | Light | Spanish |
| Liesl | God is my oath | German / Austrian |
| Lotta | Free woman (Swedish short form of Charlotte) | Swedish |
| Lahela | Hawaiian form of Rachel, “ewe” | Hawaiian |
| Luana | Enjoyment, contentment | Hawaiian |
| Ludmila | Favor of the people | Slavic |
Biblical and mythological L names
From scripture and legend. See biblical girl names and mythology girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Leto | Hidden one; mother of Apollo and Artemis | Greek |
| Lilith | Night creature; figure of Jewish folklore | Hebrew / Akkadian |
| Lachesis | Allotter; one of the three Fates | Greek |
| Leda | Mother of Helen and the Dioscuri | Greek |
| Latona | Roman name of Leto, mother of Apollo and Diana | Latin |
| Leucothea | White goddess; a sea goddess who rescued Odysseus | Greek |
| Lofn | Norse goddess of forbidden love | Old Norse |
How to choose an L name
- Balance the softness. L names are very smooth; a middle or last name with harder consonants (Luna Kate, Lily Brooks) gives the full name more shape.
- Watch for L-L alliteration. Lily Lopez or Lola Lawson is cute to some ears and sing-song to others — say it several times.
- Pick your variant. Layla, Leila, Lyla and Laila all sound alike; the spelling signals origin (Arabic, Persian, modern American).
- Mine the long forms. Want to call her Lottie or Lulu? Charlotte and Louisa give you a formal option too.
- Look for meaning. Lucy, Lucia, Lux, Luz and Liora all mean light — perfect for a baby born at dawn or after a hard wait.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name that starts with L?
Luna has been the most popular L name for girls in the US in recent SSA data, with Layla, Lily, Lucy and Leah also in the top 100.
What L girl names mean “light”?
Lucy, Lucia, Lucille, Lucinda, Luciana, Lux, Luz, Lumen and Liora all mean light.
What are unique girl names that start with L?
Linnea, Liesel, Lowri, Loveday, Leocadia and Lumi are unusual in the US and easy to say.
What are vintage L names for girls?
Louisa, Lottie, Lucille, Loretta, Lois, Lenora and Lavinia were popular around 1900 and are coming back.
What does Luna mean?
Luna is the Latin word for moon and the name of the Roman moon goddess. For similar names, see our list of names that mean moon.