Leah Girl

Popularity: #57 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: LEE-uh /ˈliːə/

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: weary; English: meadow

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Leah has its roots in the Hebrew language, derived from the word "le'ah," which is often interpreted to mean "weary" or "delicate." This name appears in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Genesis, where Leah is introduced as one of the wives of Jacob and the mother of several of his children, including Judah and Levi. The earliest forms of the name can be traced back to ancient Hebrew, and it was later transliterated into Greek as "Lea" and into Latin as "Leah," before making its way into Old French and subsequently into Middle English during the medieval period.

Historically, Leah's significance is underscored by her biblical narrative, which has been influential in Jewish and Christian traditions. The story of Leah and her sister Rachel, along with their complex relationship with Jacob, has been interpreted in various ways throughout the centuries, often symbolizing themes of love, rivalry, and maternal sacrifice.

The name Leah has been borne by various notable figures in history, including saints and queens, which has contributed to its enduring presence in religious and cultural contexts. Culturally, Leah has resonated as a symbol of strength and resilience, particularly within Jewish tradition, where her story is often recounted during religious teachings and celebrations.

The name has also been associated with the concept of loyalty and devotion, reflecting Leah's steadfastness in her familial roles. Additionally, diminutive forms such as "Lee" have emerged in various cultures, although the name Leah itself has maintained its prominence.

Overall, the historical and cultural significance of Leah has ensured its continued relevance across different eras and societies.

Famous people named Leah

In this section, you will find notable people named Leah. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Leah who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Leah who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Leah Remini is an actress and author best known for The King of Queens, Leah Remini: It's All Relative, and Scientology and the Aftermath.

Leah Pipes is an actress best known for The Originals, The Devil's Hand, and Sorority Row.

Leah McFall is a singer best known for The Voice UK and her singles such as.

Leah Lewis is an actress best known for The Half of It, Nancy Drew, and the series Station 19.

Fictional characters named Leah

The following list of fictional characters named Leah is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Leah is a fictional character from the novel and film series Twilight. She is a member of the Quileute tribe and plays a significant role in the story as a werewolf and a strong-willed character.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Leah, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Leah. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Leah was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Leah has ranked as high as #99 nationally, which occurred in 2009, and has been most popular in California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Leah has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Leah is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Leah was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Leah.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 3,880 0 3,880
2024 3,988 0 3,988
2023 3,976 0 3,976
2022 4,202 6 4,196
2021 4,474 0 4,474
2020 4,540 10 4,530
2019 4,789 9 4,780
2018 5,047 9 5,038
2017 5,211 9 5,202
2016 5,440 6 5,434
2015 5,636 0 5,636
2014 5,618 8 5,610
2013 5,623 5 5,618
2012 5,786 5 5,781
2011 6,410 10 6,400
2010 6,553 8 6,545
2009 6,799 9 6,790
2008 5,645 11 5,634
2007 4,555 0 4,555
2006 4,665 8 4,657
2005 4,615 14 4,601
2004 4,759 15 4,744
2003 3,930 5 3,925
2002 3,609 5 3,604
2001 3,528 7 3,521
2000 3,405 6 3,399
1999 3,288 0 3,288
1998 3,223 5 3,218
1997 3,203 0 3,203
1996 3,326 0 3,326
1995 3,279 5 3,274
1994 3,205 0 3,205
1993 3,419 5 3,414
1992 3,438 7 3,431
1991 3,824 8 3,816
1990 3,933 9 3,924
1989 3,807 23 3,784
1988 3,571 13 3,558
1987 3,466 12 3,454
1986 3,471 14 3,457
1985 3,590 18 3,572
1984 3,544 9 3,535
1983 3,502 18 3,484
1982 3,782 20 3,762
1981 3,819 11 3,808
1980 3,658 16 3,642
1979 3,085 10 3,075
1978 2,718 8 2,710
1977 2,596 10 2,586
1976 2,278 8 2,270
1975 2,126 9 2,117
1974 1,850 6 1,844
1973 1,587 0 1,587
1972 1,601 7 1,594
1971 1,699 9 1,690
1970 1,681 9 1,672
1969 1,495 6 1,489
1968 1,621 5 1,616
1967 1,607 9 1,598
1966 1,378 0 1,378
1965 1,385 0 1,385
1964 1,422 0 1,422
1963 1,304 5 1,299
1962 984 7 977
1961 806 0 806
1960 773 0 773
1959 738 0 738
1958 667 0 667
1957 740 0 740
1956 668 0 668
1955 592 0 592
1954 558 0 558
1953 580 0 580
1952 496 0 496
1951 479 0 479
1950 442 0 442
1949 451 0 451
1948 387 0 387
1947 388 0 388
1946 324 0 324
1945 285 0 285
1944 306 0 306
1943 308 0 308
1942 330 0 330
1941 351 0 351
1940 365 0 365
1939 373 0 373
1938 376 0 376
1937 408 0 408
1936 346 0 346
1935 362 0 362
1934 395 0 395
1933 338 0 338
1932 296 0 296
1931 319 0 319
1930 326 0 326
1929 309 0 309
1928 405 0 405
1927 345 0 345
1926 436 0 436
1925 444 0 444
1924 505 0 505
1923 487 0 487
1922 485 0 485
1921 514 0 514
1920 523 0 523
1919 527 0 527
1918 588 0 588
1917 534 0 534
1916 514 0 514
1915 552 0 552
1914 457 0 457
1913 370 0 370
1912 302 0 302
1911 202 0 202
1910 207 0 207
1909 176 0 176
1908 194 0 194
1907 200 0 200
1906 164 0 164
1905 168 0 168
1904 149 0 149
1903 175 0 175
1902 171 0 171
1901 184 0 184
1900 166 0 166
1899 149 0 149
1898 185 0 185
1897 147 0 147
1896 169 0 169
1895 203 0 203
1894 182 0 182
1893 167 0 167
1892 163 0 163
1891 144 0 144
1890 162 0 162
1889 134 0 134
1888 118 0 118
1887 83 0 83
1886 83 0 83
1885 85 0 85
1884 79 0 79
1883 65 0 65
1882 56 0 56
1881 52 0 52
1880 54 0 54

Top States for Leah (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 531
13%
NY 528
13%
TX 485
12%
NJ 279
7%
FL 277
7%
PA 134
3%
IL 126
3%
OH 113
3%
NC 103
3%
VA 100
3%
GA 86
2%
AZ 85
2%
MD 71
2%
IN 70
2%
MI 68
2%
MA 61
2%
WA 59
1%
TN 53
1%
CT 49
1%
CO 46
1%
MN 42
1%
LA 42
1%
MO 41
1%
KY 41
1%
UT 39
1%
WI 37
1%
KS 36
1%
SC 34
1%
AL 29
1%
AR 29
1%
OK 27
1%
NE 26
1%
NV 24
1%
IA 23
1%
NM 22
1%
OR 22
1%
MS 17
0%
ID 16
0%
DC 12
0%
ND 10
0%
RI 9
0%
NH 9
0%
DE 9
0%
SD 8
0%
MT 8
0%
ME 7
0%
HI 6
0%
WV 6
0%
AK 6
0%