Leah

lee-uh

Hebrew

"weary"

Leah Origin and Meaning

The name Leah is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "weary".

Strong but sweet, Leah is a classic name that doesn’t feel dull or dusty. It’s got plenty of dignity, grace, and pluck, making it a solid choice in the 21st century.

Leah was most likely derived from the Hebrew word le’ah, meaning “weary,” though it could also be inspired by the Akkadian word littu meaning “cow.”

While these meanings might not appeal to everyone, the Biblical namesake, Leah, is considered an important matriarch in The Old Testament. A mother of 7 children and the ill-favored wife of Jacob, Leah teaches resilience, compassion, hope, and faithfulness.

Beyond the Biblical narrative, weariness can be associated with having worked hard, and cows can be seen as symbols of abundance and nourishment. Besides, names with animal meanings are in at the moment.

For the last two decades now, Leah has been gaining a considerable following, outranking former Old Testament favorites, such as Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel. Given to over 4000 girls every year, short but substantial Leah strikes the balance between the likes of Amelia and Eliana and those such as Mia and Lily.

Actress Leah Remini, footballer Leah Williamson, and playwright Leah Purcell are current bearers of the name, while in pop culture, Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight, the TV shows “Supernatural” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” and Barbara Kingsolver’s novel The Poisonwood Bible all feature fictional Leahs.

Loved in the US and across the pond in Sweden, Norway, and Ireland alike, Leah looks set to remain as a 21st century classic for a while yet.

With that in mind, if you love Leah but were looking for something that’s not such a staple, you could consider another Biblical name, such as Dinah, Lois, Keziah, or Zillah, or perhaps just something similar in sound, like Leia, Lyra, or Celia.

Leah Rank in US Top 1000

# 53 in the US

Leah Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 235 on Nameberry

Leah Popularity

• 53 US 2023
• 235 Nameberry 2024
• 73 Canada 2023
• 86 Future 2028
• 150 England 2021
• 146 Scotland 2023
• 43 Ireland 2023
• 96 Australia 2016
• 96 New Zealand 2022
• 10 Germany 2017
• 124 Netherlands 2015
• 253 Mexico 2021
• 6 Sweden 2022
• 4 Norway 2023
• 27 Israel 2023
• 99 Chile 2021

20 Names Similar to Leah

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Leah.

• Hannah
• Rachel
• Sarah
• Chloe
• Anna
• Lydia
• Julia
• Naomi
• Layla
• Abigail
• Lily
• Eve
• Claire
• Emily
• Elizabeth
• Natalie
• Mia
• Emma
• Grace
• Eva

Famous People Named Leah

• Leah Biblical first wife of Jacob; sister of Rachel
• Leah Applebaum American actress
• Leah Ayres American actress
• Leah Elizabeth Felder Jenner, American singer; daughter of musician Don Felder
• Leah Marie Pipes American actress
• Leah Purcell Australian actress
• Leah Marie Remini American actress and documentary filmmaker
• Leah Donna Dizon American pop singer
• Leah Schloßberg Rabin wife of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
• Leah Simone Martindale Barbadian swimmer
• Leah Song lead singer of American band Rising Appalachia
• Leah Haywood Australian pop singer,songwriter
• Leah Krinsky American comedy writer
• Leah Joy Poulton Australian cricketer
• Leah Ward Sears American jurist
• Leah Laiman Israeli novelist
• Leah Clark American voice actress
• Leah Sibyl Cecil Miss California 2012
• Leah Moore English comic book writer
• Leah Pinsent Canadian actress
• Leah Van Dale aka Carmella American model and pro wrestler
• Leah Wood English singer; daughter of musician Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones
• Leah Studi daughter of actor Wes Studi
• Leah Hope Gosselin (b. 2004) daughter of American TV personalities Jon and Kate Gosselin
• Leah Isadora Behn (b. 2005) daughter of Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Ari Behn
• Leah Gionta (b. 2008) daughter of ice hockey player Brian Gionta
• Leah Leann Shirley (b. 2008) daughter of reality TV personalities Amber Portwood and Gary Shirley of "Teen Mom"
• Leah Sari Still (b. 2010) daughter of American NFL player Devon Still
• Leah Lou Abramovich (b. 2013) daughter of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich
• Leah Mills (b. 2014) daughter of footballer Matt Mills

Leah in Pop Culture

• Leah Rose character in Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins
• Leah Brahms character on TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
• Leah Patterson Baker, character on Australian soap "Home and Away"
• Leah Clearwater character in the 'Twilight' series
• Leah the Theatre Fairy character in the Rainbow Magic book series
• Dr. Leah Murphy character on TV's 'Grey's Anatomy'
• Leah Gideon character on TV's "Supernatural"
• Leah Price character in Barbara Kingsolver's "The Poisonwood Bible"