Girl's name
Lea
Say it LAY-uh
Hebrew origin (wild) cow
2 syllables
Where Lea is loved, common and rare
Loved in three German cities. Common across Austria, three other German cities, Quebec and seven more places. Rare in Poland, Italy, the Netherlands and five more places.
1 in 3,018 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Cologne 8thMunich 10thAustria 11th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 23 of the 40 official lists, among them Cologne (8th), Munich (10th) and Austria (11th).
Show all 23 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cologne city | 8th 2023 | 50 | about 1 in 123 |
| Munich city | 10th 2025 | 57 | about 1 in 74 |
| Austria | 11th 2025 | 359 | 1 in 100 |
| Quebec province | 12th 2025 | 274 | about 1 in 95 |
| Berlin city | 12th 2023 | 102 | about 1 in 142 |
| Switzerland | 19th 2025 | 219 | 1 in 155 |
| France as Léa | 38th 2025 | 1,165 | 1 in 246 |
| Sweden | 57th 2025 | 175 | about 1 in 230 |
| Norway | 82nd 2025 | 76 | 1 in 287 |
| Slovenia | 90th 2025 | 20 | about 1 in 330 |
| Poland | 103rd 2025 | 161 | 1 in 744 |
| Italy | 105th 2024 | 279 | 1 in 642 |
| The Netherlands | 155th 2025 | 123 | about 1 in 496 |
| Catalonia region | 170th 2025 | 25 | 1 in 771 |
| Ireland | 483rd 2025 | 7 | 1 in 3,018 |
| Ontario province | 590th 2024 | 37 | about 1 in 1,472 |
| England and Wales | 622nd 2025 | 63 | 1 in 4,020 |
| Scotland | 632nd 2025 | 4 | 1 in 4,473 |
| Bonn city | 6th 2025 | 27 | about 1 in 112 |
| Croatia | 25th 2025 | 147 | rank only |
| Denmark | 46th 2025 | 148 | rank only |
| Rostock city | 46th 2025 | 4 | about 1 in 246 |
| Leipzig city | 52nd 2025 | 11 | about 1 in 239 |
Rare, below the listed names: Northern Ireland, British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Hungary and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30) and Argentina (top 20).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Statistični urad Republike Slovenije (SURS), SiStat (Slovenia); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn); Ministarstvo pravosuđa, uprave i digitalne transformacije (Matica rođenih) (Croatia); Statistics Denmark (DST) (Denmark); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig). How we count, and every source
About the name
Lea is a form of Leah, the name of Jacob's first wife in the Book of Genesis. It goes back to the Biblical Hebrew Le'a, which is read literally as 'wild cow', an old word that sounds unusual today but ties the name to its ancient roots.
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Usually said LAY-uh, it has two syllables and a light, open sound. French uses the accented Léa, and the family includes Leah, Lia, Leia and Leya, so the name is easy to recognise in many languages.
Lea is most popular in Quebec and Austria, where it ranks just outside the top ten, and it is well used in Switzerland and Croatia. Elsewhere in the English-speaking world it is much rarer. In France it peaked around 2001, and it has been easing back in many countries since, while remaining a familiar name across much of Europe.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- LAY-uh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
(wild) cow
- Origin
- Hebrew
Counted together here: Léa.
Etymology
A female given name from Hebrew, a form of Leah. Biblical Hebrew Le'a is glossed literally as "(wild) cow".
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 4 of 22 regions, falling in 10.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 684 | 503 | 583 | 526 | 472 | 567 | 541 | 637 | 603 | 622 |
| Scotland | 675 | 808 | 680 | 560 | 636 | 652 | 625 | 541 | 632 | |
| Ireland | 254 | 341 | 474 | 457 | 444 | 299 | 458 | 727 | 556 | 483 |
| Ontario | 327 | 422 | 543 | 488 | 436 | 483 | 500 | 754 | 590 | |
| British Columbia | 455 | 561 | 646 | |||||||
| Quebec | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 12 |
| France | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 26 | 34 | 38 |
| The Netherlands | 230 | 261 | 221 | 206 | 190 | 191 | 146 | 148 | 155 | |
| Austria | 10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
| Switzerland | 18 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 19 |
| Berlin | 16 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 12 | ||
| Munich | 22 | 24 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 10 |
| Cologne | 16 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 8 | ||
| Bonn | 23 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 23 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 6 |
| Leipzig | 24 | 20 | 4 | 41 | 20 | 11 | 19 | 22 | 36 | 52 |
| Rostock | 15 | 22 | 22 | 30 | 76 | 17 | 38 | 174 | 68 | 46 |
| Norway | 95 | 80 | 80 | 81 | 70 | 72 | 75 | 63 | 81 | 82 |
| Sweden | 74 | 90 | 97 | 72 | 72 | 61 | 43 | 47 | 58 | 57 |
| Denmark | 49 | 48 | 47 | 42 | 44 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 47 | 46 |
| Iceland | 150 | 131 | ||||||||
| Catalonia | 172 | 160 | 103 | 111 | 115 | 88 | 107 | 107 | 115 | 170 |
| Italy | 185 | 159 | 151 | 133 | 106 | 114 | 105 | 101 | 105 | |
| Poland | 116 | 119 | 107 | 96 | 113 | 95 | 92 | 92 | 100 | 103 |
| Slovenia | 47 | 46 | 45 | 41 | 38 | 52 | 63 | 53 | 75 | 90 |
| Croatia | 25 | 23 | 25 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 622 | 63 | 24.9 |
| 2024 | 603 | 65 | 25.2 |
| 2023 | 637 | 57 | 22.2 |
| 2022 | 541 | 72 | 27.3 |
| 2021 | 567 | 69 | 25.2 |
| 2020 | 472 | 85 | 31.7 |
| 2019 | 526 | 77 | 27.5 |
| 2018 | 583 | 71 | 24.6 |
| 2017 | 503 | 86 | 28.8 |
| 2016 | 684 | 60 | 19.5 |
| 2015 | 549 | 79 | 25.7 |
| 2014 | 597 | 69 | 22.5 |
| 2013 | 652 | 62 | 20.1 |
| 2012 | 573 | 74 | 23.0 |
| 2011 | 629 | 64 | 19.9 |
| 2010 | 773 | 47 | 14.6 |
| 2009 | 738 | 49 | 15.6 |
| 2008 | 650 | 57 | 18.1 |
| 2007 | 623 | 56 | 18.3 |
| 2006 | 497 | 76 | 25.4 |
| 2005 | 604 | 53 | 18.4 |
| 2004 | 542 | 58 | 20.3 |
| 2003 | 519 | 61 | 21.9 |
| 2002 | 540 | 55 | 20.6 |
| 2001 | 523 | 54 | 20.1 |
| 2000 | 655 | 38 | 13.9 |
| 1999 | 453 | 65 | 23.1 |
| 1998 | 628 | 40 | 13.8 |
| 1997 | 721 | 33 | 11.3 |
| 1996 | 753 | 30 | 10.1 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Lea in France since 1925 were born in or after 2002. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2001, at 2,857.4 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Lea per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2001 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Lea
1 in 571 in Ireland
1 in 2,113 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Lea.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Elise.
1 in 2,236 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Lea.
1 in 228 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lea.
1 in 2,641 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Lea. Same first letter as Lea.
1 in 754 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Lea.
1 in 729 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lea.
1 in 166 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lea.
1 in 1,408 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Lea.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Julia.
1 in 260 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lea.
Middle names for Lea
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Lea Grace
2-1 beats · initials LG
Changes the beat after Lea: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Lea Olivia
2-4 beats · initials LO · Lea slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Lea: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Lea slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Lea Sophia
2-3 beats · initials LS
Changes the beat after Lea: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Lea Maria
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Lea: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Lea Rose
2-1 beats · initials LR
Changes the beat after Lea: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Lea Emily
2-3 beats · initials LE · Lea slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Lea: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Lea slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Lea Julia
2-3 beats · initials LJ
Changes the beat after Lea: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Lea Miriam
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Lea: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Lea
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 1,266 in England and Wales
94% alike: moves with Lea across countries and decades.
1 in 2,113 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Lea across countries and decades.
1 in 754 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Lea across countries and decades.
1 in 852 in Scotland
93% alike: moves with Lea across countries and decades.
1 in 4,966 in England and Wales
92% alike: moves with Lea across countries and decades.
1 in 491 in Ireland
91% alike: moves with Lea across countries and decades.
1 in 260 in Northern Ireland
91% alike: moves with Lea across countries and decades.
1 in 1,193 in Scotland
91% alike: moves with Lea across countries and decades.
Famous people named Lea
Léa Seydoux, Lea Michele, Lea Thompson, Lea Schüller, Lea Sirk, Lea DeLaria, Léa Drucker and Lea Ypi.
Show all 8Show less
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French actress (born 1985)
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American actress and singer born 1986
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American actress born 1961
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German association football player born 1997
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Slovene singer born 1989
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American actor, comedian and singer born 1958
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French actress born 1972
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Albanian philosopher and professor of political theory at the London School of Economics born 1979
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Lea
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Lea?
Her best rank is No. 11 in Austria in 2025, about 1 in 100 girls. She is in the published lists of 23 of our 40 regions.
What does Lea mean?
Wiktionary glosses Lea as "(wild) cow".
How do you pronounce Lea?
LAY-uh, with 2 syllables.
Is Lea getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 4 of 22 regions, falling in 10.
Which sister names go with Lea?
The deck's top five sisters for Lea: Sara, Elisa, Elsa, Eva and Lisa. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.