There is something genuinely luminous about a name that begins with L. The letter carries a quality of light inside it, a soft, flowing sound that opens into warmth and carries the breath forward rather than stopping it. L names for girls have an extraordinary range, from the clean, minimal power of Lea and Luz to the sweeping grandeur of Leonora and Lysistrata, from the warmly familiar Eleanor and Laura to the genuinely rare and beautiful Lleucu and Lilavati. Whatever quality you are looking for in a name, this letter delivers it with a particular grace.
What makes L names so enduringly beloved across every culture that has produced them is partly phonetic and partly something deeper. Phonetically, the L sound is one of the most pleasing in any language, a liquid consonant that flows naturally into any vowel and produces a sound that linguists call beautiful across cultures. But beyond the phonetics, L names carry a disproportionate share of the world’s most important mythological, literary, and historical women. Luna and Lyra and Leda and Lavinia and Lucretia carry the full weight of the classical world. Laila and Leila and Latifah and Lujain carry the extraordinary depth of Arabic and Islamic naming. Lakshmi and Lalita and Lilavati carry the warmth of the Sanskrit tradition. And the Celtic world gives us Liadan and Lleucu and Lugh-inspired names of extraordinary beauty.
L names have also been responsible for some of the great moments in literary naming. Lolita is one of the most discussed names in Western literature. Lyra is one of the great heroines of modern fantasy. Luna is both a Roman goddess and a beloved character in the world’s most popular fiction series. Lavinia is the wife of Aeneas. Lucrezia carried one of the most complex reputations in Renaissance history. L has always been the letter of beautiful, complicated, luminous women.
Whether you are looking for something timelessly classical, warmly modern, rare and completely distinctive, rooted in a specific cultural heritage, or simply the most beautiful sound you can give your daughter, this list of 302 girl names starting with L has everything you need.
Popularity rankings are based on the most recent Social Security Administration (SSA) data.
Quick Info: Names ranked >1000 on the SSA database are considered truly rare and unique. Names closer to 1 are among the most popular in the US today.
Popular L Girl Names
Luna
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Moon
- Popularity: #10
The Roman goddess of the moon and one of the most beloved characters in the Harry Potter series, Luna carries a magical, luminous quality and a clean, warm sound that has made it one of the fastest-rising girl names in America over the past decade.
Layla
- Origin: Arabic/Hebrew
- Meaning: Night, dark beauty
- Popularity: #22
One of the great love names of Arabic poetry, Layla was the beloved of the legendary poet Qays in the story of Layla and Majnun, the Arab world’s greatest love story, carrying both a profound literary heritage and a beautiful, flowing sound.
Lily
- Origin: English/Latin
- Meaning: Lily flower, purity
- Popularity: #29
Named after the elegant lily flower that has symbolized purity and beauty across virtually every culture that has encountered it, Lily carries a clean, luminous quality and a timeless botanical beauty.
Leah
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Weary, delicate, cow
- Popularity: #42
The great biblical matriarch, first wife of Jacob and mother of six of the twelve tribes of Israel, Leah carries a warm, slightly melancholy depth and a clean, confident Hebrew quality that has kept it consistently beloved.
Lucy
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Light
- Popularity: #41
Rooted in the Latin lux meaning light, Lucy carries its radiant meaning with a warm, friendly confidence that has kept it beloved across generations without a single moment of staleness or diminished grace.
Lydia
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: From Lydia, woman of Lydia
- Popularity: #79
Named after the ancient kingdom of Lydia in what is now western Turkey, where the Lydians were the first people to mint coins, Lydia carries a warm, slightly vintage quality and a clean, confident sound.
Lila
- Origin: Arabic/Sanskrit
- Meaning: Night, divine play
- Popularity: #130
Carrying both the Arabic meaning of night and the Sanskrit meaning of divine play or cosmic creativity, Lila has a warm, cross-cultural quality and a clean, flowing sound that has been rising steadily.
Lena
- Origin: Greek/German
- Meaning: Light, bright one
- Popularity: #168
A warm, clean European name that carries the light meaning through its roots in Helena, Lena has a simple, direct quality and a beautiful, minimal sound that works across many cultural traditions.
Lila
- Origin: Arabic/Sanskrit
- Meaning: Night, divine play
- Popularity: #130
Already celebrated above, Lila belongs here as one of the most successful cross-cultural L names, carrying beautiful meanings in both Arabic and Sanskrit traditions.
Lola
- Origin: Spanish/German
- Meaning: Sorrows, strong woman
- Popularity: #66
The Spanish diminutive of Dolores, Lola carries a warm, slightly dramatic Spanish quality and a cool, slightly retro character that has made it one of the most successfully modern vintage names.
Layla
- Origin: Arabic/Hebrew
- Meaning: Night, dark beauty
- Popularity: #22
Already celebrated above, Layla belongs in this popular section as one of the most consistently beautiful and beloved L names in contemporary American naming.
Lillian
- Origin: Latin/English
- Meaning: Lily flower, pure
- Popularity: #26
The elaborated form of Lily carries the same flower meaning with a warmer, more distinguished quality and a slightly more formal elegance that has kept it in the national top thirty.
Liliana
- Origin: Latin/Italian
- Meaning: Lily flower, pure
- Popularity: #51
The Italian form of Lillian adds a warm Mediterranean quality to the lily meaning, carrying a flowing, musical sound that has been rising strongly as Italian-influenced names continue to gain popularity.
Lyra
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Lyre, the constellation
- Popularity: #305
Named after both the ancient stringed instrument and the constellation, Lyra has a musical, celestial beauty and a cool, modern sound through its association with Philip Pullman’s beloved fierce heroine.
Lark
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Lark bird, songbird
- Popularity: >1000
One of the great songbirds of the open sky, Lark carries a minimal, musical quality and a genuine freshness that has been attracting increasing attention from parents who love nature names with real character.
Classic and Timeless L Names
Laura
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Laurel, crowned with laurel
- Popularity: #350
The name of Petrarch’s beloved muse whose sonnets to her created one of the great poetic sequences in Western literature, Laura carries a warm, classical quality and a timeless beauty that has endured across centuries.
Lauren
- Origin: Latin/English
- Meaning: Crowned with laurel, victorious
- Popularity: #196
The modern English form of Laura carrying the laurel crown meaning, Lauren has a clean, slightly American quality and a warm, professional character that has kept it consistently popular.
Linda
- Origin: Spanish/Germanic
- Meaning: Beautiful, serpent
- Popularity: >1000
Once one of the most popular names in America, Linda carries the Spanish meaning of beautiful in a name that had its heyday in the mid-twentieth century and now has a warm, slightly retro quality.
Louise
- Origin: Germanic/French
- Meaning: Renowned warrior
- Popularity: >1000
The distinguished French form of Louisa carrying the renowned warrior meaning, Louise has been one of the most consistently popular middle names and carries a warm, slightly aristocratic quality.
Louisa
- Origin: Germanic/Latin
- Meaning: Renowned warrior
- Popularity: >1000
The Latin form of Louise carrying the same warrior meaning, forever associated with Louisa May Alcott whose Little Women created one of America’s most beloved literary families.
Lorraine
- Origin: French
- Meaning: From Lorraine, the kingdom
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the French region of Lorraine associated with Joan of Arc, Lorraine carries a warm, slightly vintage quality and a deep French heritage that connects it to one of history’s most remarkable women.
Lena
- Origin: Greek/German
- Meaning: Light, bright one
- Popularity: #168
Already celebrated above, Lena belongs in this classic section as a name of genuine European elegance that has been consistently beloved across multiple generations.
Leila
- Origin: Arabic/Persian
- Meaning: Night, dark beauty
- Popularity: >1000
The Persian variant of Layla carrying the same night and dark beauty meaning in a slightly different form, Leila has a warm, flowing quality and a deep Persian and Arabic literary heritage.
Lydia
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: From Lydia
- Popularity: #79
Already celebrated above, Lydia belongs in this classic section as a name that has been in continuous use since the New Testament where Lydia of Thyatira was the first European convert to Christianity.
Lavinia
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Woman of Rome, purity
- Popularity: >1000
The wife of Aeneas in Roman mythology and a name beloved by Victorian novelists, Lavinia has a stately classical beauty and a warm flowing sound that is genuinely hard to resist.
Leonora
- Origin: Italian/Greek
- Meaning: Bright, shining one
- Popularity: >1000
The Italian form of Eleanor has a grander, more operatic quality than its English counterpart, with Beethoven and Verdi both writing heroines called Leonora, giving it a magnificent musical legacy.
Lucille
- Origin: Latin/French
- Meaning: Light
- Popularity: #237
The French form of Lucy carrying the same luminous meaning with a slightly more formal, elegant quality, Lucille is forever associated with Lucille Ball whose comedic genius made her one of the most beloved figures in television history.
Lucinda
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Light, bringer of light
- Popularity: >1000
An elaborated form of Lucia carrying the light meaning in a longer, more flowing form, Lucinda has a warm, slightly literary quality and a beautiful flowing sound that has been used in novels and poetry since the Renaissance.
Luisa
- Origin: Spanish/Italian
- Meaning: Renowned warrior
- Popularity: >1000
The Spanish and Italian form of Louise carrying the warrior meaning in a warm, Mediterranean form, Luisa has a clean, confident quality and a deep Iberian and Italian heritage.
Lynne
- Origin: Welsh/English
- Meaning: Lake, waterfall
- Popularity: >1000
A clean, simple Welsh-influenced name meaning lake and waterfall, Lynne has a warm, slightly vintage quality and a deep connection to the flowing water tradition of Welsh naming.
Hebrew and Biblical L Names
Leah
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Weary, delicate, cow
- Popularity: #42
Already celebrated above, Leah belongs in this biblical section as one of the great matriarchs of the Hebrew Bible whose story of being the unloved wife is one of the most psychologically complex in scripture.
Lois
- Origin: Greek/Hebrew
- Meaning: Desirable, agreeable, better
- Popularity: >1000
The grandmother of Timothy in the New Testament and a name that carries a warm, slightly vintage quality, Lois has a clean, minimal sound and a deep Christian heritage that has been used since the earliest days of the church.
Lydia
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: From Lydia
- Popularity: #79
Already celebrated, Lydia belongs here as the New Testament businesswoman who was the first European convert to Christianity and who hosted Paul and his companions in her home.
Lazara
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God has helped, female form of Lazarus
- Popularity: >1000
The feminine form of Lazarus carrying the profound biblical meaning of God has helped, associated with the story of resurrection that is one of the most dramatic in the Gospels.
Lael
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Belonging to God, devoted to God
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful, rare Hebrew name meaning belonging to God and devoted to the divine, Lael has a clean, minimal quality and a deep Old Testament heritage as the name of a Levite in the Book of Numbers.
Leora
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Light, my light
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful Hebrew name meaning my light, Leora has a warm, flowing quality and a deep Jewish heritage rooted in the Hebrew appreciation for light as a divine and spiritual metaphor.
Liorah
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: I have light, light for me
- Popularity: >1000
A variant of Leora carrying the same luminous meaning in a slightly different form, Liorah has a warm, slightly unusual quality and a deep Israeli heritage.
Lior
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Light, my light
- Popularity: >1000
A minimal, clean Hebrew name meaning light, Lior carries both a warm meaning and a crisp, modern quality that works beautifully as a given name for either gender.
Livna
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: White, purity
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful Hebrew name meaning white and pure, Livna has a clean, slightly unusual quality and a deep biblical heritage as a place name in the desert wandering narratives.
Liba
- Origin: Yiddish/Hebrew
- Meaning: Beloved, love
- Popularity: >1000
A warm Yiddish and Hebrew name meaning beloved, Liba carries a simple, deeply warm quality and a deep Jewish heritage rooted in the Eastern European Jewish naming tradition.
Celtic and Irish L Names
Liadan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Grey lady, melodious
- Popularity: >1000
Pronounced LEE-adan, Liadan was a celebrated Irish poet whose tragic love story with the poet Cuirithir is one of the most moving in early Irish literature, carrying a deep literary heritage and a beautiful Gaelic quality.
Lasair
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Flame, brilliant light
- Popularity: >1000
Pronounced LAS-er, Lasair carries the Irish meaning of flame and brilliant light in a name associated with several Irish saints and carrying a fierce, luminous quality and a deep Celtic heritage.
Labhaoise
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Renowned warrior
- Popularity: >1000
Pronounced LAW-ee-sha, Labhaoise is the Irish form of Louise carrying the renowned warrior meaning in a distinctly Gaelic form that is virtually unknown outside Ireland.
Lúnasa
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: The festival of Lughnasadh, harvest
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the great Irish harvest festival of Lughnasadh celebrated on the first of August, Lúnasa carries a warm, seasonal quality and a deep connection to the ancient Celtic agricultural calendar.
Lleucu
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Light, luminous
- Popularity: >1000
Pronounced HLAY-ki, Lleucu carries the Welsh meaning of light and brightness and was the subject of one of the great medieval Welsh poems of longing and loss, carrying a deep literary heritage.
Llio
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Smooth, gentle, linen
- Popularity: >1000
Pronounced HLEE-oh, Llio is a rare Welsh name with a gentle, smooth meaning, a diminutive form used in Wales that carries a cool, minimal quality and a genuine Welsh character.
Luned
- Origin: Welsh/Arthurian
- Meaning: Idol, image
- Popularity: >1000
The Welsh Arthurian heroine who helped the knight Owain and whose cleverness and loyalty are celebrated in the Welsh tale of Owain and Luned, Luned carries a cool, slightly mysterious quality.
Losna
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Moonlight, pale light
- Popularity: >1000
An ancient Irish name meaning moonlight and pale light, Losna carries a cool, luminous quality and a deep Irish mythological heritage connected to the moon tradition.
Luan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Monday, moon
- Popularity: >1000
The Irish word for Monday, which derives from the word for moon, Luan carries a cool, lunar quality and a deep Irish heritage rooted in the Celtic calendar tradition.
Lasairfhíona
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Flame of wine, brilliant wine
- Popularity: >1000
Pronounced las-er-EE-na, this extraordinary Irish compound name combining flame with wine carries a warm, slightly intoxicating quality and a deep Irish mythological heritage.
Arabic and Islamic L Names
Layla
- Origin: Arabic/Hebrew
- Meaning: Night, dark beauty
- Popularity: #22
Already celebrated multiple times, Layla belongs in this Arabic section as one of the great names of Arabic literary tradition, the beloved of the poet Qays in the greatest love story of the Arabic world.
Lujain
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Silver
- Popularity: >1000
The Arabic word for silver used as a name, Lujain carries a cool, luminous quality and a deep Arabic heritage rooted in the appreciation of silver as a precious, moon-associated metal.
Latifah
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Gentle, kind, subtle
- Popularity: >1000
Carrying the Arabic meaning of gentle and kind, Latifah has a warm, flowing quality and a deep Islamic heritage, associated internationally with the artist Queen Latifah whose presence has brought this name wider recognition.
Lina
- Origin: Arabic/Latin
- Meaning: Tender, palm tree, light
- Popularity: #306
Carrying both an Arabic meaning of tender and the palm tree and a Latin connection to the light of Helena, Lina has a warm, cross-cultural quality and a clean, flowing sound.
Loujain
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Silver
- Popularity: >1000
A variant of Lujain carrying the same silver meaning in a slightly different form, Loujain has a warm, flowing quality and a deep Arabic heritage.
Lamis
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Soft to the touch, smooth
- Popularity: >1000
Carrying the Arabic meaning of soft to the touch and smooth, Lamis has a warm, slightly sensory quality and a deep Arabic heritage rooted in the appreciation of softness as a beautiful quality.
Lana
- Origin: Arabic/Celtic/Slavic
- Meaning: Attractive, peaceful, light
- Popularity: #289
Carrying meanings across Arabic, Celtic, and Slavic traditions including attractive, peaceful, and light, Lana has a warm, cross-cultural quality and a clean, flowing sound that has been consistently popular.
Lubna
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Storax tree, sweetness
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the fragrant storax tree of the Arabian Peninsula, Lubna carries a warm, slightly unusual quality and a deep Arabic heritage rooted in the botanical tradition of the Arabian landscape.
Layan
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Soft, gentle, tender
- Popularity: >1000
Carrying the Arabic meaning of soft, gentle, and tender, Layan has a warm, flowing quality and a deep Arabic heritage rooted in the tradition of names that celebrate gentleness.
Lama
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Dark lips, dark beauty
- Popularity: >1000
Carrying the Arabic meaning of dark lips and dark beauty, a quality considered beautiful in classical Arabic poetry, Lama has a clean, minimal quality and a deep Arabic heritage.
Sanskrit and South Asian L Names
Lakshmi
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Good omen, fortune, beauty
- Popularity: >1000
The great Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune, and beauty who is one of the most worshipped deities in South Asia, Lakshmi carries a name of extraordinary spiritual and cultural significance.
Lalita
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Playful, charming, desirable
- Popularity: >1000
One of the epithets of the goddess Parvati and carrying the Sanskrit meaning of playful and charming, Lalita has a warm, slightly musical quality and a deep Hindu heritage.
Lilavati
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Playful, amusing
- Popularity: >1000
The name of the great twelfth-century Indian mathematician whose father Bhaskara II named his famous mathematical treatise after her, Lilavati carries an extraordinary intellectual heritage.
Lata
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Creeper plant, vine, slender
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the creeper vine in Sanskrit, Lata carries a warm, slightly botanical quality and a deep South Asian heritage, associated with the legendary Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar.
Lavanya
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Grace, beauty, elegance
- Popularity: >1000
Carrying the Sanskrit meaning of grace and beauty, Lavanya has a warm, flowing quality and a deep South Asian heritage rooted in the ancient Sanskrit celebration of graceful beauty.
Leela
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Divine play, cosmic creativity
- Popularity: >1000
A variant of Lila carrying the same divine play meaning in a slightly different form, Leela has a warm, slightly spiritual quality and a deep Hindu heritage rooted in the concept of cosmic divine creativity.
Lekha
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Writing, scripture, line
- Popularity: >1000
Carrying the Sanskrit meaning of writing and scripture, Lekha has a cool, slightly intellectual quality and a deep South Asian heritage rooted in the Sanskrit tradition of celebrating literacy and learning.
Lopamudra
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: She who causes the destruction of grief
- Popularity: >1000
The name of a great sage in Hindu tradition who was the wife of the sage Agastya and herself a scholar of the Vedas, Lopamudra carries an extraordinary intellectual and spiritual heritage.
Laxmi
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Good omen, fortune
- Popularity: >1000
A variant of Lakshmi carrying the same fortune and beauty meaning in a slightly different form, Laxmi is widely used across South Asian communities.
Lipi
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Writing, script
- Popularity: >1000
Carrying the Sanskrit meaning of writing and script, Lipi has a cool, clean quality and a deep South Asian heritage rooted in the Sanskrit tradition of honoring literacy.
European L Names
Liselotte
- Origin: Germanic
- Meaning: God is my oath, free woman
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful German compound name combining Elisabeth and Lotte, Liselotte has a warm, slightly elaborate quality and a deep German heritage that carries both the Hebrew oath meaning and the Germanic free woman meaning.
Lieselotte
- Origin: Germanic
- Meaning: God is my oath, free woman
- Popularity: >1000
A variant of Liselotte carrying the same compound meaning in a slightly different form, Lieselotte has a warm, Continental quality and a deep German naming heritage.
Liesel
- Origin: Germanic/Hebrew
- Meaning: God is my oath
- Popularity: >1000
The warm German short form of Elisabeth carrying the oath meaning in a friendly, approachable form, beloved internationally through The Sound of Music.
Lisbeth
- Origin: Germanic/Hebrew
- Meaning: God is my oath
- Popularity: >1000
A clean, crisp German form of Elisabeth carrying the oath meaning in a slightly more formal form, Lisbeth carries a warm, slightly literary quality through Stieg Larsson’s memorable Lisbeth Salander.
Livio
- Origin: Italian/Latin
- Meaning: Blue, envious, lively
- Popularity: >1000
While primarily a male Italian name, Livia the feminine form carries a warm, slightly formal Italian quality and a deep classical heritage through Livia Drusilla, wife of Emperor Augustus.
Livia
- Origin: Italian/Latin
- Meaning: Blue, envious, lively
- Popularity: #361
The feminine form carrying the warm, slightly imperial quality of the great Roman empress Livia Drusilla who was arguably the most powerful woman of the early Roman Empire.
Liesel
- Origin: Germanic/Hebrew
- Meaning: God is my oath
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated above, Liesel belongs here for its warm, friendly European quality and the way it carries the Elisabeth meaning in its most accessible, musical form.
Lore
- Origin: Spanish/Basque
- Meaning: Flower, floral
- Popularity: >1000
The Basque word for flower used as a name, Lore carries a warm, minimal quality and a deep Basque heritage rooted in the botanical tradition of the Basque naming culture.
Loredana
- Origin: Italian/Venetian
- Meaning: From Lorena, golden
- Popularity: >1000
An Italian name of Venetian origin carrying a warm, flowing quality and a deep Italian heritage associated with the noble Loredan family of Venice who produced several doges.
Lotte
- Origin: Germanic/French
- Meaning: Free woman, petite and feminine
- Popularity: >1000
The German and Dutch short form of Charlotte carrying the free woman meaning in a warm, friendly European form, Lotte has a clean, slightly vintage quality and a deep Germanic heritage.
Celestial and Luminous L Names
Luna
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Moon
- Popularity: #10
Already celebrated above, Luna belongs in this celestial section as the most successful lunar name in contemporary American naming, carrying the full divine heritage of the Roman moon goddess.
Lyra
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Lyre, the constellation
- Popularity: #305
Already celebrated above, Lyra belongs in this celestial section for the way it combines musical and astronomical meaning in a name of extraordinary beauty.
Leda
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Happy, woman
- Popularity: >1000
The queen of Sparta in Greek mythology who was visited by Zeus in the form of a swan and who became the mother of Castor and Pollux and Helen of Troy, Leda carries a complex, deeply mythological beauty.
Luciana
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Light, bringer of light
- Popularity: #360
The Italian feminine form of Lucian carrying the luminous meaning in a warm, rolling Mediterranean sound that has been rising steadily and carries both classical Latin heritage and warm Italian elegance.
Lucia
- Origin: Latin/Italian
- Meaning: Light
- Popularity: #23
The Italian form of Lucy carrying the same luminous meaning with a warmer, more musical quality, associated with Saint Lucy the martyr whose name means light and whose feast day falls on one of the darkest days of winter.
Lumen
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Light, unit of luminous flux
- Popularity: >1000
The Latin word for light used as a name, Lumen carries a warm, slightly unusual quality and a deep connection to both the classical Latin tradition and the concept of luminous measurement.
Lucille
- Origin: Latin/French
- Meaning: Light
- Popularity: #237
Already celebrated in the classic section, Lucille belongs here for its luminous quality as one of the great light-meaning L names.
Lightfoot
- Origin: English
- Meaning: One who treads lightly
- Popularity: >1000
A rare descriptive surname used as a given name, Lightfoot carries a warm, slightly whimsical quality and a deep English countryside character.
Luminita
- Origin: Romanian
- Meaning: Little light, small light
- Popularity: >1000
The Romanian word for little light used as a name, Luminita carries a warm, slightly unusual quality and a deep Romanian heritage rooted in the Latin lumen tradition.
Luzviminda
- Origin: Filipino
- Meaning: Light, Visayas, Mindanao
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful Filipino name combining luz meaning light with the island groups Visayas and Mindanao, Luzviminda carries a warm, patriotic quality and a deep Filipino heritage.
Floral and Botanical L Names
Lily
- Origin: English/Latin
- Meaning: Lily flower, purity
- Popularity: #29
Already celebrated above, Lily belongs in this botanical section as perhaps the definitive floral L name, carrying centuries of symbolic association with purity, beauty, and renewal.
Lilac
- Origin: Persian/English
- Meaning: Lilac flower, pale purple
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the fragrant lilac blossoms that fill spring gardens with their sweet, heavy scent, Lilac carries a warm, slightly dreamy quality and a beautiful connection to the ephemeral beauty of spring.
Larkspur
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Larkspur flower
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the tall, dramatic blue and purple flowering plant, Larkspur carries a cool, slightly dramatic quality and a genuine botanical rarity that suits a girl with an independent, slightly unusual spirit.
Lavender
- Origin: English/Latin
- Meaning: Lavender plant, purple flower
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the fragrant lavender plant whose purple flowers and clean, calming scent have been beloved since antiquity, Lavender carries a warm, slightly dreamy quality and a genuine botanical beauty.
Lotus
- Origin: Greek/Sanskrit
- Meaning: Lotus flower
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the sacred lotus flower that rises from muddy water to bloom in perfect purity, a symbol of enlightenment in Hindu and Buddhist tradition, Lotus carries a profound spiritual and botanical beauty.
Linden
- Origin: English/Germanic
- Meaning: Linden tree, lime tree
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the linden or lime tree whose honey-scented flowers fill summer evenings with fragrance and which was sacred in many European pagan traditions, Linden carries a warm, aromatic quality.
Linnea
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: Lime blossom, twin flower
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the small pink twinflower beloved across Scandinavia and the botanical genus named after the great taxonomist Linnaeus, Linnea has a cool Nordic clarity and a natural freshness.
Lobelia
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Lobelia flower
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the beautiful lobelia flowering plant with its distinctive two-lipped blooms, Lobelia carries a warm, slightly whimsical quality and a genuine botanical rarity.
Lore
- Origin: Spanish/Basque
- Meaning: Flower
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated in the European section, Lore belongs here for its botanical meaning as the Basque word for flower, one of the most minimal floral names available.
Lantana
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Lantana plant, wayfaring tree
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the lantana flowering plant whose clusters of small bright flowers bloom in tropical and subtropical regions, Lantana carries a warm, slightly exotic botanical quality.
Literary and Artistic L Names
Lyra
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Lyre, the constellation
- Popularity: #305
Already celebrated multiple times, Lyra belongs in this literary section as the fierce, brilliant protagonist of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, one of the great heroines of modern fantasy.
Lolita
- Origin: Spanish/Latin
- Meaning: Sorrows, from Dolores
- Popularity: >1000
The controversial protagonist of Nabokov’s great and deeply troubling novel, Lolita carries an extraordinary literary legacy and a complex, slightly dangerous quality.
Lisbeth
- Origin: Germanic/Hebrew
- Meaning: God is my oath
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated in the European section, Lisbeth belongs here for its extraordinary literary revival through Stieg Larsson’s fiercely memorable Lisbeth Salander.
Louisa
- Origin: Germanic/Latin
- Meaning: Renowned warrior
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated in the classic section, Louisa belongs here as the creator of Jo March and the entire Little Women universe, one of the most beloved characters in American literary history.
Laura
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Laurel, crowned with laurel
- Popularity: #350
Already celebrated in the classic section, Laura belongs here as the great muse of Petrarch whose sonnets created one of the defining models of romantic love poetry in Western literature.
Lavinia
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Woman of Rome, purity
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated above, Lavinia belongs here for her extraordinary literary presence from Virgil’s Aeneid through Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus to Ursula K. Le Guin’s great science fiction novel.
Leonora
- Origin: Italian/Greek
- Meaning: Bright, shining one
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated above, Leonora belongs here for her operatic legacy through Beethoven’s Leonore and Verdi’s Il Trovatore where she is the great heroine of one of opera’s most dramatic plots.
Lorelie
- Origin: Germanic
- Meaning: From the Lorelei rock, murmuring
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the legendary Rhine maiden of German Romanticism who sat on her rock and lured sailors to their deaths with her singing, the Lorelei carries a cool, slightly dangerous beauty.
Lucrezia
- Origin: Italian/Latin
- Meaning: Profit, gain
- Popularity: >1000
The Renaissance duchess whose real life was far more interesting than the legend that replaced it, Lucrezia Borgia carrying a dark, sophisticated Italian elegance.
Lysistrata
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Disbander of armies
- Popularity: >1000
The great heroine of Aristophanes’s comedy who organized the women of Greece to refuse their husbands until they ended the war, Lysistrata carries one of the most brilliantly activist names in classical literature.
Scandinavian and Norse L Names
Linn
- Origin: Scandinavian/Norse
- Meaning: Waterfall, linden tree
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful, minimal Scandinavian name meaning waterfall, Linn carries the cool, flowing quality of the Norwegian waterfall tradition in a clean, minimal Nordic form.
Liv
- Origin: Scandinavian/Norse
- Meaning: Life, protection
- Popularity: >1000
The Scandinavian word for life used as a name, Liv carries a minimal, vital quality and a deep Norse heritage, associated with the actress Liv Ullmann whose quiet, profound performances defined a generation of Scandinavian cinema.
Lilja
- Origin: Icelandic/Scandinavian
- Meaning: Lily
- Popularity: >1000
The Icelandic and Scandinavian word for lily, Lilja carries the flower meaning in a cool, Nordic form that is beloved across Iceland and the Scandinavian countries.
Lovisa
- Origin: Scandinavian/Germanic
- Meaning: Renowned warrior
- Popularity: >1000
The Scandinavian form of Louise carrying the warrior meaning in a clean, Nordic form, Lovisa has a warm, slightly formal quality and a deep Scandinavian heritage.
Lykke
- Origin: Danish/Norwegian
- Meaning: Happiness, luck, fortune
- Popularity: >1000
The Danish and Norwegian word for happiness and luck used as a name, Lykke carries a warm, joyful quality and a deep Scandinavian heritage rooted in the tradition of naming children after the good fortune they represent.
Lisbet
- Origin: Scandinavian/Hebrew
- Meaning: God is my oath
- Popularity: >1000
The Scandinavian short form of Elisabeth carrying the oath meaning in a clean, Nordic form, Lisbet has a warm, slightly formal quality and a deep Scandinavian heritage.
Linnea
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: Lime blossom, twin flower
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated in the botanical section, Linnea belongs here for its deeply Scandinavian character and its connection to the great Swedish botanist whose name it carries.
Lofn
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Comfort, the goddess of forbidden love
- Popularity: >1000
The Norse goddess of comfort who was able to make even forbidden marriages possible, Lofn carries a warm, slightly unusual quality and a deep Norse mythological heritage.
Loveren
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: The laurel
- Popularity: >1000
A Scandinavian name carrying the laurel meaning in a distinctive Nordic form, Loveren has a warm, slightly unusual quality and a genuine Scandinavian character.
Lur
- Origin: Basque
- Meaning: Earth, land
- Popularity: >1000
The Basque word for earth and land used as a name, Lur carries a minimal, elemental quality and a deep Basque heritage rooted in the tradition of names that celebrate the earth.
African L Names
Lulu
- Origin: Swahili/Arabic
- Meaning: Pearl
- Popularity: >1000
The Swahili and Arabic word for pearl used as a name, Lulu carries a warm, friendly quality and a deep East African and Arabic heritage alongside its more familiar use as a warm, affectionate diminutive in Western naming.
Langa
- Origin: Zulu/South African
- Meaning: Sun
- Popularity: >1000
The Zulu word for sun used as a name, Langa carries a warm, luminous quality and a deep South African heritage rooted in the Zulu tradition of solar naming.
Lindiwe
- Origin: Zulu/South African
- Meaning: Waited for, expected one
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful Zulu name meaning waited for and expected one, Lindiwe carries a warm, deeply meaningful quality and a rich South African heritage rooted in the tradition of names that express the longing for a child.
Lungisa
- Origin: Zulu/South African
- Meaning: Do good, make right
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful Zulu name meaning do good and make right, Lungisa carries a warm, aspirational quality and a deep South African heritage rooted in the Zulu tradition of virtue naming.
Lola
- Origin: Yoruba/Nigerian
- Meaning: Wealth is here, riches have arrived
- Popularity: #66
In Yoruba tradition, Lola carries the meaning of wealth has arrived in addition to its Spanish meaning, giving it a cross-cultural richness that makes it doubly meaningful.
Lethu
- Origin: Zulu/South African
- Meaning: Ours
- Popularity: >1000
The Zulu word for ours used as a name, Lethu carries a warm, communal quality and a deep South African heritage rooted in the Zulu tradition of communal identity.
Rare and Distinctive L Names
Laoghaire
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Calf herder, keeper of calves
- Popularity: >1000
Pronounced LEE-ree, Laoghaire is an ancient Irish name carried by the High King of Ireland at the time of Saint Patrick’s arrival, carrying a cool, deeply archaic Irish quality.
Lethbridge
- Origin: English
- Meaning: From the bridge over the Lete
- Popularity: >1000
A rare English surname used as a given name, Lethbridge carries a cool, slightly unusual quality and a warm, English geographical character.
Libuše
- Origin: Czech/Slavic
- Meaning: Beloved, love
- Popularity: >1000
The legendary Czech princess and prophetess who founded the city of Prague and established the Přemyslid dynasty, Libuše carries an extraordinary historical heritage and a warm, slightly unusual Slavic quality.
Liminal
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Threshold, of the threshold
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the liminal space that exists on the threshold between one state and another, Liminal carries a cool, slightly philosophical quality and a genuine rarity that makes it one of the most conceptually unusual names available.
Linnaea
- Origin: Latin/Scandinavian
- Meaning: Twinflower, linden tree
- Popularity: >1000
An elaborated form of Linnea carrying the twinflower meaning in a slightly more formal Latin botanical form, Linnaea carries a clean, slightly academic botanical quality.
Liripipe
- Origin: Medieval English
- Meaning: The tail of a hood, medieval garment
- Popularity: >1000
The name of the distinctive pointed tail of the medieval hood worn by scholars and fools alike, Liripipe is an extraordinary rarity that carries a genuine medieval English character.
Ljótunn
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Giantess, great woman
- Popularity: >1000
An ancient Norse name meaning great woman, Ljótunn carries a bold, slightly unusual quality and a deep Norse mythological heritage rooted in the tradition of the divine giant women.
Llewella
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Leading, lion-like
- Popularity: >1000
A Welsh feminine form drawing on the great Welsh name Llywelyn, Llewella carries a cool, slightly unusual Celtic quality and a deep Welsh heritage.
Loralei
- Origin: Germanic
- Meaning: From the Lorelei rock
- Popularity: >1000
A variant spelling of the German Loreley carrying the legendary Rhine maiden meaning in a slightly different form, Loralei has a warm, romantic quality and a genuine Germanic heritage.
Lowenna
- Origin: Cornish
- Meaning: Joy, happiness
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful Cornish name meaning joy and happiness, Lowenna carries a warm, slightly unusual quality and a deep Cornish Celtic heritage that is virtually unknown outside Cornwall.
Latin American L Names
Luz
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Light
- Popularity: >1000
The Spanish word for light used as a name, Luz carries a minimal, luminous quality and a warm Spanish heritage in just three clean letters that are full of warmth and brightness.
Lupita
- Origin: Spanish/Latin
- Meaning: Little wolf, from Guadalupe
- Popularity: >1000
The beloved Mexican diminutive form of Guadalupe, Lupita carries a warm, affectionate quality and a deep Mexican Catholic heritage, associated internationally with the Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o.
Lourdes
- Origin: French/Basque
- Meaning: From Lourdes, slope
- Popularity: >1000
Named after the French Catholic pilgrimage site where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, Lourdes carries a deep Catholic heritage and a warm, slightly formal quality beloved across Latin American Catholic communities.
Leticia
- Origin: Spanish/Latin
- Meaning: Joy, gladness
- Popularity: >1000
The Spanish form of Laetitia carrying the joy and gladness meaning in a warm, rolling Spanish form, Leticia has a clean, confident quality and a deep Hispanic heritage.
Lila
- Origin: Spanish/Arabic/Sanskrit
- Meaning: Night, divine play
- Popularity: #130
Already celebrated above, Lila belongs here for its warm cross-cultural presence across Spanish, Arabic, and Sanskrit traditions.
Luzmila
- Origin: Spanish/Slavic
- Meaning: Light grace, gracious light
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful cross-cultural compound name combining the Spanish luz meaning light with the Slavic mila meaning gracious or dear, Luzmila carries a warm, slightly unusual quality and a genuine cross-cultural beauty.
Leydi
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Lady
- Popularity: >1000
The Spanish phonetic rendering of the English word Lady, Leydi carries a warm, slightly unusual quality and a deep connection to the Latin American tradition of adapting English words and concepts into Spanish forms.
Lisbel
- Origin: Spanish/Germanic
- Meaning: God is my oath
- Popularity: >1000
A Spanish compound form of Elisabeth, Lisbel carries the oath meaning in a warm, slightly unusual Spanish form.
Lourdes
- Origin: French/Basque
- Meaning: From Lourdes
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated above, Lourdes belongs here for its extraordinary importance in Latin American Catholic naming traditions.
Leonela
- Origin: Spanish/Greek
- Meaning: Little lion, lioness
- Popularity: >1000
The Spanish diminutive form of Leona carrying the lioness meaning in a warm, slightly affectionate form, Leonela has a clean, flowing quality and a deep Hispanic heritage.
Japanese and East Asian L Names
Lan
- Origin: Vietnamese/Chinese
- Meaning: Orchid, blue
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful Vietnamese and Chinese name meaning orchid and blue, Lan carries a cool, minimal quality and a deep East Asian heritage rooted in the appreciation for the orchid as a symbol of elegance and refinement.
Li
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Beautiful, reason, profit
- Popularity: >1000
One of the most common Chinese name elements meaning beautiful, reason, and profit, Li carries a clean, minimal quality and a deep Chinese heritage as one of the most important and widely used characters in Chinese naming.
Linh
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Soul, spirit, supernatural
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful Vietnamese name meaning soul and spirit, Linh carries a warm, slightly spiritual quality and a deep Vietnamese heritage rooted in the appreciation for the connection between the visible and invisible worlds.
Ling
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Delicate, dainty, spiritual
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful Chinese name meaning delicate and spiritual, Ling carries a clean, precise quality and a deep Chinese heritage rooted in the appreciation for delicacy as a form of refinement.
Lian
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Lotus, graceful willow
- Popularity: >1000
A beautiful Chinese name meaning lotus and graceful willow, Lian carries a clean, slightly poetic quality and a deep Chinese heritage rooted in the appreciation for these two symbols of elegance and purity.
Lien
- Origin: Vietnamese/Chinese
- Meaning: Lotus, lotus flower
- Popularity: >1000
The Vietnamese and Chinese word for lotus used as a name, Lien carries the sacred lotus meaning in a minimal, clean East Asian form.
Ling
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Delicate, spiritual
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated above, Ling belongs here for its cross-cultural Chinese quality and the way it carries both delicacy and spirituality in a minimal, clean form.
Lulu
- Origin: Swahili/Chinese
- Meaning: Pearl, informal name
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated in the African section, Lulu also has Chinese informal name usage and carries a warm, friendly quality across multiple cultural traditions.
Goddess and Divine L Names
Lakshmi
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Good omen, fortune, beauty
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated in the Sanskrit section, Lakshmi belongs here as one of the great goddess names of Hinduism, the divine embodiment of wealth, beauty, and fortune.
Leda
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Happy, woman
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated in the celestial section, Leda belongs here as a figure of Greek mythology who was visited by Zeus himself and whose children included Helen of Troy and the divine twins Castor and Pollux.
Libertas
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Liberty, freedom
- Popularity: >1000
The Roman goddess of freedom and liberty whose image became the basis for the Statue of Liberty, Libertas carries an extraordinary political and symbolic legacy.
Losna
- Origin: Etruscan
- Meaning: Moon goddess
- Popularity: >1000
The Etruscan moon goddess whose worship preceded the Roman Luna, Losna carries an extraordinary ancient Italian religious heritage and a cool, slightly archaic quality.
Lofn
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Comfort, the goddess of forbidden love
- Popularity: >1000
Already celebrated in the Scandinavian section, Lofn belongs here as one of the Norse goddess names, the divine figure who could unite even forbidden lovers.
Lugh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Light, brightness
- Popularity: >1000
While primarily the name of the great Irish sun god, Lugh has been used for girls in some Irish families and carries the full divine heritage of the most skilled of all the Irish gods.
Lucina
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Light, Roman goddess of childbirth
- Popularity: >1000
The Roman goddess of childbirth who brought children into the light of the world, Lucina carries a warm, luminous quality and a deep Roman religious heritage.
Lilith
- Origin: Hebrew/Akkadian
- Meaning: Night monster, of the night
- Popularity: #395
The ancient night demon of Hebrew mythology and the legendary first wife of Adam who refused to submit, Lilith carries a fierce, independent, darkly beautiful energy that has made her one of the most compelling mythological names.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the most popular girl names starting with L right now?
A: According to the most recent SSA data, Luna is the most popular L girl name in the United States, sitting in the national top ten. Layla is in the top twenty-five. Lily, Leah, Lucy, and Lucia are all performing strongly in the top fifty. Lillian and Lydia are both in the national top one hundred. Among rising L names, Lyra, Lana, and Lila have been climbing strongly. The sheer range of popular L names reflects the extraordinary diversity and appeal of this letter.
Q: What L girl names have the most beautiful meanings?
A: Some of the most beautifully meaningful L names on this list include Luna meaning moon, Lucia meaning light, Lakshmi meaning beauty fortune and good omen, Lalita meaning playful and charming, Lavanya meaning grace and elegance, Leora meaning my light, Lujain meaning silver, Lykke meaning happiness and luck, Lotus carrying the sacred lotus meaning, and Lilavati meaning playful and carrying the legacy of the great mathematician. Each carries a meaning as beautiful as the name itself.
Q: What are the rarest L girl names on this list?
A: The rarest choices include Lilavati, Lasairfhíona, Laoghaire, Libuše, Lleucu, Lopamudra, Lusna, Ljótunn, Llewella, and Liripipe, all of which rank well above 1000 in SSA data while carrying extraordinary cultural depth from Sanskrit, Irish, Czech, Welsh, Norse, and medieval English traditions.
Q: What L names work best as both first and middle names?
A: Some L names work particularly well in both positions. Lucia, Rose, and Grace all flow beautifully as middle names after almost any first name. As first names, Eleanor, Lyra, Lily, and Luna all carry the right balance of distinctiveness and accessibility. For the middle name position, shorter L names like Lux, Lore, Lore, Lin, and Lee are particularly versatile. Longer L names like Leonora, Lavinia, and Luciana make striking middle names when paired with shorter first names.
Q: What is a good sibling name to pair with an L girl name?
A: L names pair beautifully with a wide variety of sibling names. If you have a Luna, consider Eleanor or Lyra for a sister. If you have a Lily, Violet or Iris make beautiful botanical sisters. If you have a Lucia, Serena or Clara carry the same Latin luminous quality. For brothers, Leo is the obvious companion to any L girl name, but Luca, Leif, and Lennox all create beautiful L-sibling pairs. Non-L sibling names that pair particularly well include soft consonant names like Nora, Ivy, and Clara.
Conclusion
Girl names that start with L carry a luminosity and a range that makes them some of the most rewarding names to explore in the entire alphabet. From the beloved popular names like Luna and Lily that have climbed to the very top of the charts, to the warmly vintage classics like Laura and Leonora, to the deeply mythological names like Leda and Lakshmi and Lilith, to the rare and beautiful Celtic names like Liadan and Lleucu and Lasair, to the extraordinary Sanskrit intellectual heritage of Lilavati and the deep Arabic poetry of Layla, L names for girls contain multitudes. They carry light in their very sound and carry meanings that range from the most intimate and personal to the most cosmically vast. Whether you choose a beloved classic or a genuinely rare gem, a nature name or a goddess name, a minimal two-syllable beauty or an elaborate four-syllable wonder, you are giving your daughter a name that begins with one of the most beautiful letters in any alphabet. Take your time with this list, let the names light up in your imagination, and trust that the right L name will find you.
Which name is your favorite? I would love to hear in the comments below!
Olivia Lane is a devoted Christian writer and faith blogger at PrayerPure.com, where she shares heartfelt prayers, Bible verses, and spiritual reflections to inspire believers around the world. Her gentle words help readers find peace, purpose, and strength in God’s presence every day. When she’s not writing, Olivia enjoys reading devotionals, spending time outdoors, and connecting with her church community.