Leah
Leah was the 58th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,880 babies. Its best year was 2010, when it ranked 24th; the most babies were born in 2009 (6,790). Over the last ten years it has moved down 22 places. More babies were named Leah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew
Say it LEE-uh /ˈliə/
- Rank in 2025
- #58 girls, down 13 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,880girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20096,790 babies
- Total since 1880
- 256,954babies recorded
What does the name Leah mean?
Leah is the Hebrew name of Jacob's first wife, the elder sister of Rachel and mother of six of the tribes of Israel. DMNES calls the name's origin uncertain. Wiktionary's Hebrew entry links it to an old Semitic word for 'cow', citing related words in Akkadian (lītum, 'cow') and Arabic ('wild cow'), but this remains a scholarly proposal. Popular books also give 'weary', but we found no dictionary support for that. DMNES notes that, like many Old Testament names, it came into use with the Protestants, and it should not be confused with the unrelated medieval name Lea.
לֵאָה (Biblical Hebrew, “Le'ah”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Origin uncertain per DMNES; Wiktionary's Hebrew entry supports a Semitic word for 'cow'.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'weary'.
Related names: Lea, Leia, Lia, Léa.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Leah', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 29:16, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Leah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'לאה', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Leah popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 466 since 1962.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #58 | 3,880 |
| 2020 | #45 | 4,530 |
| 2010 | #24 | 6,545 |
| 2000 | #97 | 3,399 |
| 1990 | #82 | 3,924 |
| 1980 | #84 | 3,642 |
| 1970 | #192 | 1,672 |
| 1960 | #342 | 773 |
| 1950 | #385 | 442 |
| 1940 | #334 | 365 |
| 1930 | #376 | 326 |
| 1920 | #286 | 523 |
| 1910 | #269 | 207 |
| 1900 | #252 | 166 |
| 1890 | #184 | 162 |
| 1880 | #210 | 54 |
How popular is Leah, counting every spelling?
Leah is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #42 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #58 for Leah on its own. Together these spellings went to 5,418 girls in 2025.
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Leah?
3,880 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Leah (1.08 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Leah born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 49. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Leah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Leah?
About 232,500 people born in the US named Leah are alive today, with a median age of 24; half are between 13 and 41. That makes Leah mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Leah by state
How common Leah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.9×), New York (2.7×), Delaware (1.9×), Rhode Island (1.8×), District of Columbia (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Wyoming, Vermont, Alabama.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Leah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Leah, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Leah · Sibling names for Leah
Questions about the name Leah
What does Leah mean?
The origin of Leah is uncertain: Origin uncertain per DMNES; Wiktionary's Hebrew entry supports a Semitic word for 'cow'.
How popular is the name Leah?
Leah was the 58th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,880 babies. Its best year was 2010, when it ranked 24th; the most babies were born in 2009 (6,790). Over the last ten years it has moved down 22 places. More babies were named Leah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Leah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Leah in the US.
Where is Leah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Leah was most common in New Jersey (7.22 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Delaware.