The meaning of the name Lalia is uncertain. In its (rare) modern use, it is thought to derive from the Greek for 'speech', implying a person who speaks well (but Lalia Clayhanger's rather fearsome reputation does not seem fit well with this interpretation). Indeed, it is far from clear that Tolkien intended the name to carry any particular meaning at all, though one alternative would be Latin lalia, 'lilies'. This would fit with the Hobbits' fondness for giving flower names to girls (and there was indeed one Hobbit known to have been named after this particular flower, Lily Baggins).
As with her given name, the meaning of Lalia's family name of Clayhanger remains uncertain. The -hanger perhaps relates to Anglo-Saxon hangra, a hillside or slope, especially one covered with grass or trees. If so, Clayhanger would mean something like 'clay hillside' (which might in turn imply that the family's Hobbit-hole had originally been made in such a place).
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