The name Lela is of Hungarian origin and it means "night". It is derived from the Hungarian word "éjszaka" which translates to "night". The name has been used in Hungary for centuries, but it gained international recognition when it was used by the Hungarian-born actress Lila Kedar (whose real name was Lela Ferren) in her films. Today, Lela is still a popular name in Hungary and other countries around the world. It's often associated with creativity and mystery due to its connection with nighttime and dreams.
The name Lela experienced peaks of popularity between 1918 and 1923 with six or more births each year during that period. After a slight decline in the late 1920s and early 1930s, it regained some traction with six births in both 1933 and 1938. Overall, there were 68 babies named Lela born over this 52-year span.