Leda

Succinct and simple in spelling, Leda is a currently rare choice from Greek mythology with that appealing four-letter, ending in -a format of Lyra, Maia, Vada, Veda, and Nora. Borne by a Spartan queen in classic Greek myth, Leda was the mother of Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, and the twins, Castor and Pollux. All were fathered by Zeus, who assaulted her in the form of a swan.

Familiar in Brazil and a Top 1000 choice in the US in the late 19th-century, Leda was given to just 12 girls in a more recent year, with parents put off, perhaps, by the myth. Nevertheless, if you can look beyond that, Leda has plenty of potential: unique, simple, and pretty.

Pronounced as LEE-duh or LAY-duh in English and as LEH-dah in Italian and Greek, the exact meaning is unknown, though "woman, wife" is one possibility, while other sources link it to the similar Leta ("glad, happy") via the Latin laetus.

As of October 2026, Leda ranked #8641 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #516 in 1904, Nameberry popularity #997.