Girl's name
Leah
Say it LEE-uh
Hebrew origin cow
2 syllables
Where Leah is loved, common and rare
Common across Norway, Sweden, Israel and six more places. Rare in the Netherlands, the UK, Quebec and nine more places.
1 in 240 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Norway 12thSweden 22ndIsrael 31st
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 23 of the 40 official lists, among them Norway (12th), Sweden (22nd) and Israel (31st).
Show all 23 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 12th 2025 | 279 | 1 in 78 |
| Sweden | 22nd 2025 | 318 | about 1 in 126 |
| Israel לאה | 31st 2024 | 542 | about 1 in 145 |
| Ireland | 55th 2025 | 88 | 1 in 240 |
| British Columbia province | 61st 2023 | 39 | about 1 in 307 |
| Ontario province | 62nd 2024 | 144 | about 1 in 378 |
| New Zealand | 79th 2025 | 48 | rank only |
| New South Wales state | 89th 2025 | 79 | rank only |
| The Netherlands | 110th 2025 | 127 | about 1 in 480 |
| Scotland | 135th 2025 | 33 | 1 in 542 |
| Northern Ireland | 140th 2025 | 14 | 1 in 520 |
| Quebec province | 155th 2025 | 36 | about 1 in 722 |
| England and Wales | 183rd 2025 | 273 | 1 in 928 |
| Austria | 222nd 2025 | 27 | 1 in 1,323 |
| Berlin city | 241st 2023 | 13 | about 1 in 1,116 |
| Catalonia region | 332nd 2025 | 10 | 1 in 1,927 |
| Switzerland | 480th 2025 | 14 | 1 in 2,428 |
| Poland | 583rd 2025 | 3 | 1 in 39,929 |
| Cologne city | 630th 2023 | 1 | about 1 in 6,143 |
| Italy | 779th 2024 | 13 | 1 in 13,782 |
| France | 1275th 2025 | 40 | 1 in 7,170 |
| Bonn city | 99th 2025 | 6 | about 1 in 502 |
| Leipzig city | 344th 2025 | 1 | about 1 in 2,624 |
Rare, below the listed names: Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Munich, Rostock, Spain, Hungary and Slovenia.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), SmartStart (New Zealand); NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (Data.NSW) (New South Wales); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig). How we count, and every source
About the name
Leah is a biblical name: in Genesis she is the elder daughter of Laban and the first wife of Jacob. It comes from the Hebrew Le'a, traced to an old Semitic word for 'cow', possibly linked to a root meaning 'to be strong' or 'mighty'.
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LEE-uh is two syllables, soft and short, and it is easy to spell and say in most languages. Lea, Lia, Leia and Leya are related forms, and Léah is an accented spelling.
Leah is a favourite in Scandinavia, in the top fifteen in Norway, and it is well used in Sweden and Israel. It ranks comfortably in Ireland, British Columbia and Ontario too. In Canada it has been in use for generations and peaked around 2009, and today it is holding steady in some countries while easing in others.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- LEE-uh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
cow
- Origin
- Hebrew
Counted together here: Léah.
Etymology
From Hebrew Le'a. The Hebrew entry derives it from Proto-Semitic *lay'-at- "cow", possibly from a root "to be strong, mighty".
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 3 of 19 regions, falling in 5.
Show the yearsShow less
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 | 99 | 99 | 136 | 123 | 143 | 150 | 156 | 169 | 184 | 183 |
| Scotland | 48 | 58 | 58 | 72 | 105 | 131 | 108 | 144 | 145 | 135 |
| Northern Ireland | 36 | 47 | 54 | 52 | 60 | 86 | 69 | 70 | 119 | 140 |
| Ireland | 30 | 29 | 36 | 36 | 46 | 37 | 50 | 43 | 53 | 55 |
| Ontario | 32 | 33 | 46 | 51 | 42 | 47 | 47 | 52 | 62 | |
| British Columbia | 43 | 93 | 68 | 85 | 84 | 85 | 58 | 61 | ||
| New South Wales | 82 | 81 | 96 | 95 | 89 | |||||
| Victoria | 100 | 93 | ||||||||
| South Australia | 130 | 135 | ||||||||
| New Zealand | 83 | 76 | 74 | 81 | 73 | 84 | 95 | 80 | 79 | |
| Quebec | 147 | 135 | 135 | 154 | 141 | 186 | 145 | 196 | 161 | 155 |
| France | 1318 | 962 | 1270 | 1227 | 1633 | 1423 | 1389 | 1150 | 1292 | 1275 |
| The Netherlands | 164 | 176 | 159 | 183 | 158 | 110 | 117 | 116 | 110 | |
| Austria | 160 | 144 | 146 | 140 | 140 | 150 | 164 | 196 | 192 | 222 |
| Switzerland | 338 | 495 | 567 | 430 | 496 | 408 | 444 | 874 | 707 | 480 |
| Berlin | 193 | 144 | 160 | 158 | 160 | 179 | 204 | 241 | ||
| Munich | 185 | 203 | 162 | 124 | 128 | 227 | ||||
| Cologne | 316 | 219 | 299 | 206 | 181 | 223 | 420 | 630 | ||
| Bonn | 220 | 111 | 168 | 131 | 168 | 186 | 392 | 236 | 362 | 99 |
| Leipzig | 375 | 148 | 378 | 191 | 201 | 129 | 222 | 344 | ||
| Rostock | 202 | 199 | 202 | 158 | ||||||
| Norway | 22 | 23 | 16 | 25 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 12 |
| Sweden | 47 | 30 | 48 | 38 | 30 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 22 |
| Catalonia | 379 | 373 | 280 | 305 | 270 | 286 | 244 | 290 | 308 | 332 |
| Italy | 584 | 1025 | 682 | 779 | ||||||
| Poland | 312 | 383 | 374 | 389 | 445 | 388 | 648 | 360 | 435 | 583 |
| Israel | 40 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 36 | 35 | 31 | 25 | 31 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 183 | 273 | 107.8 |
| 2024 | 184 | 265 | 102.7 |
| 2023 | 169 | 305 | 118.9 |
| 2022 | 156 | 315 | 119.5 |
| 2021 | 150 | 346 | 126.3 |
| 2020 | 143 | 353 | 131.5 |
| 2019 | 123 | 414 | 147.8 |
| 2018 | 136 | 389 | 134.9 |
| 2017 | 99 | 546 | 182.6 |
| 2016 | 99 | 564 | 183.6 |
| 2015 | 98 | 575 | 186.7 |
| 2014 | 78 | 683 | 222.7 |
| 2013 | 71 | 775 | 251.3 |
| 2012 | 64 | 944 | 293.1 |
| 2011 | 56 | 1,120 | 348.6 |
| 2010 | 50 | 1,299 | 404.6 |
| 2009 | 44 | 1,385 | 442.0 |
| 2008 | 38 | 1,559 | 493.7 |
| 2007 | 39 | 1,375 | 449.2 |
| 2006 | 34 | 1,592 | 532.0 |
| 2005 | 25 | 2,045 | 709.4 |
| 2004 | 24 | 2,160 | 755.6 |
| 2003 | 27 | 1,903 | 682.9 |
| 2002 | 24 | 2,060 | 770.5 |
| 2001 | 31 | 1,763 | 657.9 |
| 2000 | 28 | 1,951 | 714.2 |
| 1999 | 32 | 1,715 | 608.8 |
| 1998 | 40 | 1,474 | 509.7 |
| 1997 | 36 | 1,605 | 547.4 |
| 1996 | 35 | 1,705 | 576.0 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Leah in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 1997. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2009, at 691.8 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Leah per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 2009 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Leah
1 in 125 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Leah.
1 in 571 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Leah.
1 in 221 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Leah.
1 in 347 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Leah.
1 in 577 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Leah.
1 in 271 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Leah. Ends in -ah, like Leah.
1 in 660 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Leah.
1 in 1,408 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Leah.
1 in 1,921 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Leah.
1 in 778 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Leah.
Middle names for Leah
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Leah Grace
2-1 beats · initials LG
Changes the beat after Leah: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Leah Olivia
2-4 beats · initials LO · Leah slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Leah: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Leah slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Leah Rose
2-1 beats · initials LR
Changes the beat after Leah: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Leah Emily
2-3 beats · initials LE · Leah slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Leah: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Leah slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Leah Julia
2-3 beats · initials LJ
Changes the beat after Leah: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Leah Miriam
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Leah: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Leah Charlotte
2-2 beats · initials LC
A close match on style, era and popularity. Same length as Leah: 2 syllables.
1 in 1,243 in Ireland
Leah Diana
2-3 beats · initials LD
Changes the beat after Leah: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Leah
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 640 in Ireland
96% alike: moves with Leah across countries and decades.
1 in 577 in Scotland
95% alike: moves with Leah across countries and decades.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Leah across countries and decades.
1 in 126 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Leah across countries and decades.
1 in 125 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Leah across countries and decades.
1 in 2,113 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Leah across countries and decades.
1 in 325 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Leah across countries and decades.
1 in 271 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Leah across countries and decades.
Famous people named Leah
Leah Goldberg, Leah Williamson, Leah Remini, Leah Pipes, Leah Lewis, Leah Dizon, Leah Namugerwa and Leah Isadora Behn.
Show all 8Show less
-
Israeli poet (1911–2070)
-
English footballer (born 1997)
-
American actress (born 1970)
-
American actress (born 1988) born 1983
-
American actress (born 1996)
-
American singer and model born 1986
-
Ugandan environmental activist born 2004
-
Second child of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Ari Behn born 2005
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Leah
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 Leah?
Her best rank is No. 12 in Norway in 2025, about 1 in 78 girls. She is in the published lists of 23 of our 40 regions.
What does Leah mean?
Wiktionary glosses Leah as "cow".
How do you pronounce Leah?
LEE-uh, with 2 syllables.
Is Leah getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 3 of 19 regions, falling in 5.
Which sister names go with Leah?
The deck's top five sisters for Leah: Molly, Isabel, Jessica, Abigail and Naomi. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.