Girl names that start with L run from favorites like Luna, Lily, Layla and Lucy to rare picks like Lettice, Lucetta and Linnaea, and this list of 126 gives a checked origin and meaning for every one.
L is one of the softest letters for naming a daughter, and one of the most varied. No L name is in the girls’ top 10 for 2025, according to the Social Security Administration, yet the letter holds classics, flower and bird names, goddesses and names from languages around the world.
We grouped these L names for girls by style: familiar, unique, short, long, vintage, nature, mythology and literature, international and gender neutral. After that come pronunciation tips, nicknames, sibling and middle name ideas, and a quick initials check.
Key Takeaways
- No L name is in the girls’ top 10 for 2025, according to the Social Security Administration.
- Familiar L names for girls include Luna, Lily, Layla, Leah, Lucy, Lillian, Lucia, Lydia and Laura.
- Rare options include Lettice, Leatrice, Laurencia, Lucetta, Lalage and Lucasta.
- Many L names are nicknames of other names, such as Lottie (Charlotte), Libby (Isabel or Elizabeth) and Lola (Dolores).
- Test your favorite with the initials, say it out loud, spelling and nickname checks before you decide.
Table of Contents
Girl Names That Start With L at a Glance
Quick Answer
Every origin and meaning on this page was checked against the name’s own entry on Behind the Name in October 2026. Where the reference calls a meaning unknown or uncertain, or gives none, we say so.
These are the best known baby girl names that start with L. For a wider pool, browse our main list of baby girl names, or compare letters with girl names that start with A, girl names that start with C and girl names that start with E.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Luna | Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English, Dutch; Roman mythology | “The moon” in Latin and in Romance languages; the Roman goddess of the moon |
| Lily | English | From the flower, a symbol of purity; from Latin lilium |
| Layla | Arabic, English | From an Arabic word for “night”; the beloved of the poet Majnun in an old Arab tale retold by Nizami in the 12th century |
| Leah | English, Hebrew, biblical | Probably from Hebrew la’ah, “weary, grieved” (possibly Akkadian littu, “cow”); Jacob’s first wife in the Old Testament |
| Lucy | English | English form of Lucia, in use since the Middle Ages |
| Lillian | English | Probably first a diminutive of Elizabeth; perhaps also from Latin lilium, “lily”; used in England since the 16th century |
| Lucia | Italian, German, English, Scandinavian and more | Feminine form of Lucius; Saint Lucia of Syracuse, a 4th-century martyr, is the patron saint of the blind |
| Lydia | English, German, Dutch, biblical | “From Lydia” in Greek, a region of Asia Minor; a woman converted by Saint Paul in the New Testament |
| Lila | English | Variant of Leila, or a short form of Delilah |
| Laura | English, Spanish, Italian, French, German and many more | From Latin laurus, “laurel”, whose leaves crowned victors in ancient Rome; the subject of Petrarch’s poems |
| Lauren | English | Variant or feminine form of Laurence; first a masculine name, made familiar for girls by the actress Lauren Bacall |
| Lyla | English | Variant of Leila, or a feminine form of Lyle |
| Lola | Spanish, English, French | Spanish diminutive of Dolores |
| Liliana | Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, English and more | Latinate form of Lillian |
| Lena | Swedish, German, Polish, Russian, English, Italian and many more | Short form of names ending in lena, such as Helena, Magdalena and Yelena; also used on its own |
| Leila | Persian, Arabic, Kurdish, English, French, Georgian | Variant of Layla and the usual Persian spelling; used by Lord Byron in two poems (1813 and 1819) |
| Louise | French, English, Scandinavian, Dutch, German | French feminine form of Louis |
| Lucille | French, English | French form of Lucilla; borne by the comedian Lucille Ball |
Notice how many of the familiar L names come in families. Knowing the family helps when you like the sound of one name but want a different length or style:
- The Layla family: Layla, Leila, Lila and Lyla. Behind the Name treats Leila, Lila and Lyla as variants of Layla, from an Arabic word for night (Lyla can also be a feminine form of Lyle).
- The Lucia family: Lucia, Lucy, Lucille, Lucinda, Lucilla, Lucetta and Lúcia all trace back to the Roman name Lucius or to Lucia herself.
- The laurel family: Laura, Laurel, Laure, Lowri and the pet form Laurie come from Latin laurus, the laurel tree. Lauren, Laurencia and Laurie connect to Laurence.
- The Lily family: Lily, Lillian, Liliana, Liliane and Lillie, where the reference ties Lillian to both Elizabeth and the Latin word for lily.
- The Louis family: Louise, Louisa, Lovisa, Ludovica, Lou, Lulu and Lula are feminine or pet forms of Louis and its German twin Ludwig.
Unique and Rare Girl Names That Start With L
If you want unique girl names that start with L, look past the familiar sounds to names with a long history and little current use. Behind the Name marks several of these as rare or archaic in English, and the rest are uncommon in the United States today.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Lettice | English (archaic) | Medieval form of Letitia |
| Leatrice | English | Possibly a blend of Leah and Beatrice; borne by the silent film actress Leatrice Joy |
| Laurencia | English (rare) | Feminine form of Laurence |
| Lorinda | English | Lori plus the name ending inda |
| Lilibet | English | Diminutive of Elizabeth |
| Leontyne | English (rare) | Variant of the French name Léontine; borne by the opera singer Leontyne Price |
| Loveday | English (British, rare), Cornish (rare) | The reference gives no definition for this name; listed as feminine and masculine |
| Lucetta | Italian | Diminutive of Luce; a character in Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594) |
Lettice is the medieval English form of Letitia, “joy”, so it suits parents who like a name with a cheerful meaning and an old spelling. Loveday is the one name here with no recorded meaning: the reference lists it in British and Cornish use for girls and boys but gives no definition, so treat any meaning you see elsewhere with caution. Several of the rarest L names are also tucked into the mythology and literature table below, including Lalage, Lucasta and Luned. For more uncommon picks across every letter, see our unique girl names guide.
To see how common any name is, the Social Security Administration’s Popularity of a Name search lets you look up a name by sex and range of years. It is the quickest way to tell a familiar name from a truly rare one.
Short L Names for Girls (3 to 4 Letters)
Short L names for girls are easy to spell, quick to call across a playground and pair well with a long surname or middle name. Most of them began as pet forms or short forms of longer names.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Lana | English, Russian, Croatian, Slovene, Georgian | Short form of Alana (English) or Svetlana (Russian); made familiar by the actress Lana Turner |
| Lara | Russian, English, German, Italian, Spanish and more | Russian short form of Larisa; known in English from the novel Doctor Zhivago (1957) |
| Liv | Norwegian, Swedish, Danish | From the Old Norse name Hlíf, “protection”; influenced by the Scandinavian word liv, “life” |
| Lexi | English | Diminutive of Alexandra or Alexis |
| Lexa | English | Short form of Alexandra or Alexa |
| Lulu | English, German | Diminutive of names beginning with Lou or Lu, such as Louise and Lucinda |
| Lula | English | Diminutive of Louise and of names beginning with Lu |
| Lea | Hebrew, German, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish and more | Form of Leah used in several languages |
| Lia | Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Georgian, Greek | Italian, Portuguese, Georgian and Greek form of Leah |
| Leta | English | Possibly from Latin laetus, “glad”; could also be a short form of names ending in leta |
| Lisa | English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Italian | Short form of Elizabeth, often used on its own; the subject of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was Lisa del Giocondo |
Liv is one of the few short L names with its own deep root: the reference traces it to the Old Norse name Hlíf, “protection”, with a later pull from the Scandinavian word for life. Leta, possibly from Latin for “glad”, is another short name with a meaning of its own. Other three and four letter names sit elsewhere on this page, including Luna, Lily, Lucy, Lila, Lyla, Lola, Lena, Lark, Lumi, Lan, Leda, Leto, Lyra, Lois, Léa, Luz, Leni, Lani, Linh, Lake and Lacey.
Long, Elegant and Vintage L Names
Longer L names give a child a formal option and a built-in nickname. Several of these are the Latin or Italian forms of names you already know.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Louisa | English, German, Dutch, French | Latinate feminine form of Louis; borne by Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women |
| Leonora | Italian | Italian short form of Eleanor |
| Letitia | English | From Latin Laetitia, “joy, happiness”; used in medieval England as Lettice and revived in the 18th century |
| Lucinda | English, Portuguese, literature | Elaboration of Lucia, created by Miguel de Cervantes for Don Quixote (1605) |
| Lucilla | Italian, Ancient Roman | Roman diminutive of Lucia; a 3rd-century saint martyred in Rome |
| Loretta | English, Italian | Uncertain: possibly a variant of Lauretta or Loreto, or a diminutive of names beginning with Lor |
| Lorraine | English | From a region in eastern France whose name meant “kingdom of Lothar”, a great-grandson of Charlemagne |
| Luella | English | Variant of Louella |
The next group sounds like a great-grandmother’s name, which is exactly why some parents love them. Many began as pet forms (Lottie, Libby, Lettie, Lillie) and now stand on their own.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Lenore | English | Short form of Eleanor; the lost love of the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem The Raven (1845) |
| Lottie | English, Swedish | Diminutive of Charlotte or Liselotte |
| Leona | English, Czech | Feminine form of Leon |
| Linda | English, German, Italian, Scandinavian and many more | Medieval short form of Germanic names with lind, “soft, flexible, tender”; also matches Spanish and Portuguese linda, “beautiful” |
| Libby | English | Medieval diminutive of Ibb, itself a diminutive of Isabel; also used for Elizabeth |
| Lettie | English | Diminutive of Lettice |
| Laverne | English | From a French surname and place name, from Gaulish vern, “alder”; sometimes linked with Latin vernus, “of spring” |
| Leola | English | Feminine form of Leo; the reference lists its root as leo |
| Lillie | English | Variant of Lily, or a diminutive of Lillian or Elizabeth |
Loretta is a good example of an honest entry: the reference calls its origin uncertain and offers three possibilities rather than one. Lorraine has a clearer story, from a region of eastern France whose name meant “kingdom of Lothar”, after a Frankish king. Laverne is listed for both girls and boys.
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Nature L Names: Flowers, Trees, Birds and Snow
Many pretty girl names that start with L come straight from the natural world. Every meaning below is the one the name’s entry gives, not a guess based on how the name sounds.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Lark | English (rare) | From the English word for the songbird |
| Laurel | English | From the laurel tree; from Latin laurus |
| Lavender | English (modern) | From the aromatic flower or the pale purple color |
| Lilac | English (rare) | From the flowering shrub; the word came via Arabic from Persian |
| Lotus | English (rare) | From the lotus flower or the lotus tree of Greek myth; from Greek lotos |
| Linnaea | English (rare) | From the flower also called the twinflower |
| Linnet | English (rare) | Either a variant of Lynette or from the small songbird, a kind of finch |
| Lumi | Finnish | “Snow” in Finnish |
| Lan | Chinese, Vietnamese | From Chinese 兰, “orchid, elegant” (usually for girls), or 岚, “mountain mist”; Vietnamese 蘭 also means orchid |
| Lubna | Arabic, Urdu, Bengali | “Storax tree” in Arabic; Lubna and Qays are the couple in a 7th-century Arabic tale |
| Leilani | Hawaiian, English | Hawaiian lei (flowers, lei, child) plus lani (heaven, sky, royal); usually read as “heavenly flowers” or “royal child” |
| Lehua | Hawaiian | “Ohia flower” in Hawaiian |
Birds have a strong showing in this letter: Lark and Linnet are English word names, and Llinos (in the international table) is the Welsh word for linnet, the same small finch. Trees appear too, from Laurel to Linden and Lubna, the storax tree in Arabic. Lily, Lilac, Lavender, Lotus and Linnaea are flowers, Lehua is a Hawaiian flower, and Lan means orchid in Chinese and Vietnamese. Lumi, “snow” in Finnish, is a rare winter choice. Leilani and Lehua are listed for both girls and boys.
Mythology, Literature and Biblical L Names
L has an unusual number of names from myth and books. Greek, Roman, Baltic and Hindu traditions all appear here, along with names invented by poets and novelists. Where the reference says a meaning is unknown, as it does for Lavinia and Leda, we print exactly that.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Lorelei | Literature, English | From the Loreley, a rock on the Rhine; meaning uncertain, the second part probably Old German ley, “rock”; in German Romantic poems, a maiden whose song lured boatmen |
| Lavinia | Roman mythology, Romanian, Italian | Meaning unknown, probably Etruscan; in Roman legend the daughter of King Latinus and wife of Aeneas |
| Leda | Greek mythology, Italian | Meaning unknown; a Spartan queen in Greek myth, mother of Castor, Pollux, Helen and Clytemnestra |
| Leto | Greek mythology | Possibly from Lycian lada, “wife”, or Greek letho, “hidden, forgotten”; the Titan mother of Apollo and Artemis |
| Latona | Roman mythology | Latin form of Leto |
| Laima | Lithuanian, Latvian, Baltic mythology | From Latvian laime and Lithuanian laimė, “luck, fate”; the Baltic goddess of fate, luck, pregnancy and childbirth |
| Lakshmi | Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Marathi and more | From a Sanskrit word for “sign, mark”; the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck and beauty, whose symbol is the lotus |
| Lalita | Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Thai | Roughly “playful, charming, desirable” in Sanskrit; a devotee of Krishna in the Puranas and a goddess in Shaktism |
| Lorna | English | Created by R. D. Blackmore for his novel Lorna Doone (1869), possibly from the Scottish place name Lorne |
| Lyra | Astronomy | The northern constellation shaped after the lyre of Orpheus; also the heroine of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials |
| Lalage | Literature | From Greek lalageo, “to babble, to prattle”; used by the Roman poet Horace |
| Lucasta | Literature | Coined by the poet Richard Lovelace for his 1649 collection; from Latin lux casta, “pure light” |
| Luned | Welsh, Arthurian legend | Form of Lunete used in the Welsh tale Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain |
| Lois | English, biblical | Possibly from Greek loion, “more desirable, better”; the grandmother of Timothy in the New Testament |
Several of these names were coined by writers rather than inherited. Lorna was created for a novel, Lucasta for a book of poems, and Lucinda (in the long names table) by Cervantes for Don Quixote. Lalage comes from a Greek verb meaning to babble or prattle, a lively meaning for a baby. Laima is worth a look for an expecting family: the reference describes her as the Baltic goddess of fate, luck, pregnancy and childbirth. Lakshmi is listed as both feminine and masculine.
Biblical girl names that start with L are few. Leah, Jacob’s first wife, and Lydia, the woman Saint Paul converted, sit in the first table. Lois, the grandmother of Timothy, is the third. Lea, Lia, Léa and Lidia are forms of Leah and Lydia in other languages.
International L Names by Language
Origins below use the reference’s own usage labels. European languages are rich in L names because so many come from shared Latin roots such as lux (light) and laurus (laurel), and from Germanic names such as Louis.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Léa | French | French form of Leah, the biblical wife of Jacob |
| Léonie | French | French feminine form of Leonius |
| Lucienne | French | Feminine form of Lucien |
| Liliane | French | French form of Lillian |
| Laure | French | French form of Laura, which comes from Latin laurus, “laurel” |
| Letizia | Italian | Italian form of Letitia; the name of Napoleon Bonaparte’s mother |
| Ludovica | Italian | Italian feminine form of Ludwig |
| Loredana | Italian, Romanian | Used by George Sand in her novel Mattea (1833); perhaps from the Venetian surname Loredan |
| Lucrezia | Italian | Italian form of Lucretia |
| Lidia | Polish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Georgian | Polish, Italian, Spanish and Georgian form of Lydia |
| Luz | Spanish | “Light” in Spanish, from the Marian title Nuestra Señora de la Luz, “Our Lady of Light” |
| Lourdes | Spanish, Portuguese | From the French town that became a pilgrimage center after a local girl reported visions of the Virgin Mary |
| Leticia | Spanish | Spanish form of Letitia |
| Lorena | Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian | Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian form of Lorraine |
| Lúcia | Portuguese, Hungarian | Portuguese and Hungarian form of Lucia |
| Liesel | German | German diminutive of Elisabeth |
| Lotte | German, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch | Short form of Charlotte or Liselotte |
| Leni | German | German diminutive of Helene or Magdalena |
| Liselotte | German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish | A combination of Lise and Charlotte |
| Lieke | Dutch | Dutch diminutive of Angelique or of names ending in lia |
| Linnea | Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish | Variant of Linnéa |
| Lovisa | Swedish | Swedish feminine form of Louis |
| Lahja | Finnish | “Gift” in Finnish |
| Laoise | Irish | Possibly a newer form of Luigsech, or from County Laois; also used as an Irish form of Lucy or Louise |
| Lowri | Welsh | Welsh form of Laura |
| Llinos | Welsh | “Linnet, finch” in Welsh |
| Larisa | Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovene | Uncertain: possibly from the ancient Thessalian city of Larisa (“citadel”); a nymph of Greek legend and a 4th-century saint |
| Lyudmila | Russian, Bulgarian | Russian and Bulgarian form of Ludmila; the heroine of Pushkin’s poem Ruslan and Lyudmila (1820) |
| Lenka | Czech, Slovak | Diminutive of Magdaléna or Helena, now used on its own |
A few more come from Hebrew, Arabic, Hawaiian and Vietnamese. If one of these names comes from a culture outside your own family, learn how it is said and used before you commit.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Liora | Hebrew | Strictly feminine form of Lior |
| Layan | Arabic | “Soft, delicate” in Arabic |
| Lani | Hawaiian | “Sky, heaven, royal, majesty” in Hawaiian |
| Linh | Vietnamese | From Sino-Vietnamese 靈, “spirit, soul”; listed as feminine and masculine |
Print accents exactly as the name is spelled (Léa, Léonie, Lúcia). U.S. paperwork does not always carry accents, so decide ahead of time whether you are comfortable seeing the name written without them.
Gender Neutral L Names
Behind the Name lists each of these as both feminine and masculine. Most began as surnames or place names (London, Logan, Leslie, Lindsay, Lennox) or as English words (Lake, Liberty, Lyric). Elsewhere on this page, Lauren, Laverne, Loveday, Leilani, Lehua, Lakshmi and Linh are also listed for both. You will find more in our gender neutral names guide.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| London | English (modern) | From the name of the capital of the United Kingdom, whose meaning is uncertain |
| Lennon | English (modern) | From an Irish surname, from the byname Leannán, “lover”; likely used in honor of John Lennon |
| Logan | English | From a Scottish surname taken from a place in Ayrshire; Gaelic lag, “hollow”, so roughly “little hollow” |
| Leighton | English | Variant of Layton; the actress Leighton Meester made it familiar for girls |
| Lake | English (rare) | From the English word for an inland body of water; from Latin lacus |
| Linden | English | From a German and Dutch surname, from Old High German linta, “linden tree” |
| Leslie | English | From a Scottish surname and place in Aberdeenshire, probably Gaelic for “garden of holly” |
| Lindsay | English | From a surname taken from Lindsey in eastern England: Celtic lindos, “lake”, plus Old English ieg, “island” |
| Laurie | English, French | Diminutive of Laura or Laurence |
| Liberty | English | From the English word; from Latin libertas and liber, “free” |
| Lacey | English | Variant of Lacy, and its most common spelling today |
| Lyric | English (modern) | From the English word for songlike poetry; from Greek lyrikos |
| Lennox | English (modern) | From a Scottish surname and district; the Gaelic name Leamhnachd possibly means “place of elms” |
Why L Names Are Loved: Sound, Spelling and Nicknames
A few plain reasons parents keep coming back to names that start with L:
- L is a soft, liquid sound, so L names rarely feel harsh, whether short (Liv, Lia) or long (Liliana, Lucinda).
- The letter is full of light and nature meanings: Luna (moon), Luz (light), Lucasta (pure light), Laura and Laurel (laurel), Lumi (snow), Lark and Linnet (songbirds).
- Many L names cross languages easily. Lena, Laura, Linda and Lisa are each listed in a long run of European languages.
- L names work as nicknames for names that start with other letters, so you can honor a Charlotte or an Elizabeth and still call your daughter Lottie or Libby.
Spelling and sound are the usual surprises. Lila and Lyla are said LIE-luh in English, while Layla is LAY-luh, and the reference gives Leila three English pronunciations. Names from Welsh, Irish and other languages can look nothing like they sound. This table uses the pronunciation printed on each name’s Behind the Name entry (in the International Phonetic Alphabet), with a plain English hint.
| Name | Pronunciation (IPA) | Quick hint |
|---|---|---|
| Laoise | /ˈlˠiː.ʃə/ (Irish) | Sounds like LEE-sha |
| Llinos | /ˈɬiː.nɔs/ (Welsh) | Welsh ll, a breathy L made at the side of the tongue |
| Lowri | /ˈlɔu̯.ri/ (Welsh) | First syllable rhymes with how |
| Luned | /ˈlɪn.ɛd/ (Welsh) | The Welsh u here sounds like the i in lit |
| Léa | /le.a/ (French) | Two syllables, lay-ah |
| Laure | /lɔʁ/ (French) | One syllable |
| Lucienne | /ly.sjɛn/ (French) | French u, lips rounded |
| Letizia | /le.ˈtit.t͡sja/ (Italian) | The zi sounds like ts |
| Lahja | /ˈlɑh.jɑ/ (Finnish) | The j sounds like an English y |
| Lieke | /ˈli.kə/ (Dutch) | LEE-kuh |
| Liora | /li.ʔo.ˈʁa/ (Hebrew) | Stress on the last syllable |
| Leilani | /lej.ˈla.ni/ (Hawaiian) | Stress on la |
| Lila, Lyla | /ˈlaɪ.lə/ (English) | LIE-luh, unlike Layla /ˈleɪ.lə/ |
Nicknames are the other big draw. Each nickname below is listed as a short form, pet form or diminutive on the reference.
| Full name | Nickname ideas |
|---|---|
| Laura, Lauren | Laurie, Lori, Lorrie (and Lauretta or Loretta in Italian) |
| Lillian, Liliana, Lily | Lillie, Lillia, Liana |
| Louise, Louisa | Lou, Lulu, Lula, Louella or Luella |
| Letitia, Lettice | Lettie, Letty, Tisha |
| Lucinda | Cindy, Cinda, Lulu |
| Lucia | Lucetta, Lucilla (Italian) |
| Lydia | Liddy |
| Linda | Lindy, Linnie |
| Lorraine, Loretta | Lori, Lorinda |
| Leonora | Nora, Norina |
| Lenore | Nellie, Nelly |
| Liselotte | Lotte, Lottie, Lilo |
| Linnea, Lena | Linn (and Nea for Linnea) |
| Lovisa | Lo, Lova |
| Lidia | Lidka (Polish) |
| Larisa | Lara |
| Leslie | Les, Lessie |
| Lexi | Lexa |
And here is the reverse: L names that began as nicknames for names starting with other letters, according to their entries. These are useful if you want to honor a relative with a different initial.
| L name | Began as a pet or short form of |
|---|---|
| Lottie, Lotte | Charlotte (or Liselotte) |
| Libby | Isabel or Elizabeth |
| Lisa, Lilibet, Liesel | Elizabeth or Elisabeth |
| Lexi, Lexa | Alexandra, Alexis or Alexa |
| Lola | Dolores |
| Lana | Alana or Svetlana |
| Lena, Leni, Lenka | Helena, Helene or Magdalena |
| Lenore, Leonora | Eleanor |
| Lila | Delilah (or a variant of Leila) |
Sibling, Twin and Middle Name Ideas
These pairings are ideas, not rules. Sister or twin sets that share a letter work best when the names differ in length, ending or style of sound:
- Luna and Lyra (moon and constellation)
- Lark and Linnet (two songbirds)
- Laurel and Linden (two trees)
- Lily and Lavender (two flowers)
- Leah and Lydia (two biblical names)
- Léa and Léonie (both French)
- Lowri and Llinos (both Welsh)
- Liesel and Lotte (both German)
- Lucy and Louisa (classic English)
- Lumi and Lahja (both Finnish)
If you want a set that matches without sounding alike, pair a short name with a long one (Liv and Liliana) or a classic with a nature name (Laura and Lark). For a brother, look at boy names that start with M, or use one of the gender neutral L names above. More letter pages for girls: J, M and S.
For middle names, contrast helps. A short middle balances a long first name, and a longer middle gives a short first name some weight. Double L combinations such as Lucy Lorraine, Liv Louisa, Luna Laurel, Lila Lenore or Lena Lucille have a pleasing rhythm. Watch for names that end in the sound the next one starts with: Lila Leah runs together, while Lila Laurel keeps each name clear.
The Initials Check and Other Quick Tests
Before you settle on girl names that start with L, run each finalist through four quick tests:
- Initials: write out first, middle and last initials. Some L combinations spell words or abbreviations you may not want (for example an L.O.L. monogram), so swap the middle name if you spot a problem.
- Say it out loud: call the full name across a room. L first names flow easily into most surnames, but a first name ending in a (Luna, Lola, Lyla) can blur into a surname that starts with a vowel.
- Spelling: many L names have close twins (Layla, Leila, Lila, Lyla; Lacey and Lacy; Lindsay and Lindsey). Decide whether you mind spelling it out for years.
- Nicknames: check the tables above. If you dislike the obvious short form, assume someone will use it anyway.
One more check is optional: popularity. No L name is in the girls’ top 10 for 2025, according to the Social Security Administration, so even the most familiar L names are less common than the very top choices. The SSA’s Popularity of a Name search will show you how any name has changed over time.
If you are torn between two finalists, use each one for a few days in the sentences you will say most: calling her for dinner, introducing her to a neighbor, spelling it on the phone. The name that still feels easy at the end of the week is usually the one.
Related Betteroo Guides
- Girl names that start with E
- Girl names that start with C
- Unique girl names
- Flower names
- Middle names
- Boy names that start with L
The Bottom Line
The letter L covers every style a parent might want: familiar names like Luna, Lily, Layla and Lucy, rare finds like Lettice and Lucetta, nature names like Lark, Laurel and Lumi, names from myth and books like Lorelei and Lyra, and names from French, Italian, Spanish, German, Welsh, Irish, Finnish, Arabic, Hawaiian and more. Shortlist three to five, check the meaning, test the initials and the sound, and say each one out loud for a week.
Then give yourself permission to stop looking. A name you have checked, said aloud and still love after a week is a good name.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular girl names that start with L?
No L name is in the girls’ top 10 for 2025, according to the Social Security Administration. Familiar L names include Luna, Lily, Layla, Leah, Lucy, Lillian, Lucia, Lydia, Laura and Louise. You can check how common any name is with the Popularity of a Name search on the SSA baby names website.
What are unique L names for girls?
Rare L names include Lettice, the medieval form of Letitia, plus Leatrice, Laurencia, Lorinda, Leontyne and Lucetta. From books and poems come Lalage, Lucasta and Luned. Nature lovers might like Linnaea, Lumi or Lehua. Behind the Name marks several of these as rare or archaic in English.
What are pretty and cute girl names that start with L?
Taste is personal, but meaning can help. Luna means the moon, Luz means light, Lucasta comes from Latin for pure light, Lahja means gift in Finnish and Layan means soft or delicate in Arabic. Lily, Lilac, Lavender and Lotus are flower names, and Lark and Linnet are songbirds.
What are short L names for girls?
Short L names include Liv, Lia, Lea, Lisa, Lexi, Lexa, Lulu, Lula, Lana, Lara and Leta, plus Luna, Lily, Lucy, Lila, Lyla, Lola, Lena and Lyra. Many began as short forms: Lana comes from Alana or Svetlana, Lara from Larisa and Lisa from Elizabeth.
What are biblical girl names that start with L?
The main ones are Leah, the first wife of Jacob in the Old Testament, Lydia, a woman converted by Saint Paul in the New Testament, and Lois, the grandmother of Timothy. Lea, Lia, Léa and Lidia are forms of Leah and Lydia used in other languages.
Which L names work for both girls and boys?
Behind the Name lists London, Lennon, Logan, Leighton, Lake, Linden, Leslie, Lindsay, Laurie, Liberty, Lacey, Lyric and Lennox as both feminine and masculine. Lauren, Laverne, Leilani, Lehua and Linh are also listed for both. Lauren began as a masculine name and became popular for girls through the actress Lauren Bacall.
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7 Sources
- Social Security Administration. Popular Baby Names (top 10 names of 2025).
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html - Behind the Name. Browse Names: feminine English names with the first letter L.
https://www.behindthename.com/names/gender/feminine/usage/english/letter/l - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Luna.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/luna - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Layla.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/layla - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Laura.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/laura - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Lucia.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/lucia - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Lorelei.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/lorelei
