Fun Facts About the Name Calilah
- 12 babies named Calilah: U.S. records list 12 babies given the name Calilah from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Calilah Mean?
Calilah is a rare feminine name, generally treated as a spelling variant of Kalilah, also written Kalila or Calila. Its usual form is Arabic Kalīla (كليلة), and the final -h is an English-style transliteration. The meaning of the Arabic name is not securely established: it is sometimes glossed as "beloved" or "sweetheart," and sometimes linked to the Arabic root kh-l-l, "friend," which gives the masculine Khalīl and the feminine Khalīla. Kalīla is not the ordinary feminine of Khalīl, so that link is uncertain. A separate possibility is the Hebrew name Kelilah (כְּלִילָה), formed from kelil, "crown." It shares the same consonants as Calilah, but a shared sound does not prove a shared origin. Because neither explanation is firmly supported, the meaning is best given as uncertain.
Calilah Name History & Origins
The form Kalīlah is best known from Kalīlah wa Dimnah, the Arabic collection of animal fables. Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ translated it into Arabic in the 8th century from a Middle Persian version, which itself came from the Sanskrit Panchatantra. Kalilah and Dimnah are the two jackals in the frame story. The literary name is often traced through Middle Persian Kalilag to Sanskrit Karataka, so its path into Arabic is a chain of translations rather than a native Arabic word; that background belongs to the fable character, not to the personal name. The Arabic book later reached Europe, and a Castilian translation made in the 13th century is titled Calila e Dimna, one source of the spelling Calila without a final h.
As a personal name, Kalīla is used in Arabic-speaking regions, and the Hebrew name Kelilah appears in modern Israeli usage. The English spellings Calilah, Kalilah, and Calila show up mainly in modern name lists. They represent the same set of sounds rather than separate lines of descent, and the specific spelling Calilah has no documented history distinct from the others.
How Popular is the Name Calilah?
Calilah has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2024. Its best rank was #13,513 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,513 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #13,747 | 6 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Calilah Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Calilah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Calilah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.