Leah
Top 1000
About Leah
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 seven 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, Leah has been gaining a considerable following, outranking former Old Testament favorites, such as Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel. Given to nearly 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.
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.
Pronounced lee-uh.
As of October 2026, Leah ranked #58 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #24 in 2010, Nameberry popularity #250.
Editor's take: The name Leah is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "weary".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #35 | 5,609 | 3,139.9 |
| 2015 | #36 | 5,633 | 3,155.6 |
| 2016 | #37 | 5,433 | 3,066 |
| 2017 | #40 | 5,200 | 3,011.9 |
| 2018 | #41 | 5,036 | 2,960.5 |
| 2019 | #43 | 4,780 | 2,848 |
| 2020 | #45 | 4,527 | 2,800.4 |
| 2021 | #46 | 4,474 | 2,726.6 |
| 2022 | #52 | 4,193 | 2,556.5 |
| 2023 | #53 | 3,973 | 2,476 |
| 2024 | #53 | 3,969 | 2,449.7 |
| 2025 | #58 | 3,880 | 2,414 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Leah.
- Natalie
- Isabelle
- Isabel
- Hannah
- Annabelle
- Gabriella
- Sofia
- Allison
- Zoe
- Lauren
- Abigail
- Samantha
- Rebecca
- Eva
- Gabrielle
- Camila
- Alexandra
- Emily
- Sara
- Nicole
Leah on lists
Famous Leahs
- 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 Jeffries
American actress
- Leah Kateb
Contestant and runner up on season 6 of Love Island USA
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"
- Leah
character in the video game "Stardew Valley"
- Leah
character in children’s show “Shimmer and Shine”
Variations & nicknames
- LeiaFrench
- LéaFrench
- LeeaFinnish
- LiaItalian
- LeeahFinnish