Girl name · Hebrew
Leah
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: probably weary, grievedLeah is a girl's name that comes from Hebrew and means "probably weary, grieved". It is used in English and Hebrew.
- Meaning
- Probably weary, grieved
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #58 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Leah
As a girl's name, Leah comes from Hebrew and means "probably weary, grieved". It is used in English and Hebrew.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Leah on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Leah on 1 list.
“Weary in Hebrew, or possibly cow in Akkadian. First wife of Jacob, Genesis 29”
From Biblical names, popular Bible names with debated meanings
How popular is Leah?
- US rank in 2025
- #58
- 3,880 babies, 2,414 per million girls
- Best rank
- #24 in 2010
- Most babies: 6,790 in 2009
- Babies since 1880
- At least 256,488
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 616 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 752 per million |
| 1900s | 597 per million |
| 1910s | 521 per million |
| 1920s | 373 per million |
| 1930s | 332 per million |
| 1940s | 241 per million |
| 1950s | 310 per million |
| 1960s | 698 per million |
| 1970s | 1,368 per million |
| 1980s | 2,099 per million |
| 1990s | 1,894 per million |
| 2000s | 2,459 per million |
| 2010s | 3,202 per million |
| 2020s | 2,574 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #37 | #40 | #41 | #43 | #45 | #46 | #52 | #53 | #53 | #58 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Leah
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- LeaGerman form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- LeiaForm of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars (Hebrew, girl)
- LanOrchid (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
- LeeClearing, meadow (Old English, unisex)
- LeiGarland of flowers (Hawaiian, girl)
- LeighMeadow, clearing (Old English, girl)
- LenaShort form of Helena or Magdalena (Greek, girl)
- LeraShort form of Valeriya, to be strong (Latin, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- BruceProbably from Brix in Normandy (French, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- LukaForm of Lucas, probably from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- PenelopeProbably from a Greek word for a type of duck (Greek, girl)
- AlainaVariant of Alana, probably influenced by Elaine (Breton, girl)
- AloraVariant of Elora, probably invented; used in the film Willow (English, girl)
- ArabellaProbably a variant of Annabel; linked with Latin yielding to prayer (Latin, girl)
- BarrettFrom a surname probably meaning quarrelsome, deceptive (Middle English, boy)
- BrodyFrom a Scottish place name probably meaning ditch, mire (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- EleniGreek form of Helen, probably from helene, torch; the meaning is uncertain (Greek, girl)
- EloiseProbably from Germanic elements meaning healthy and wide (Germanic, girl)
- LillianProbably a pet form of Elizabeth, or an elaboration of Lily (English, girl)
Middle names for Leah
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AureliaGolden (Latin, girl)
- BriarThorny shrub (Old English, unisex)
- DaisyDay's eye (Old English, girl)
- HarmonyConcord, agreement (Greek, girl)
- MadelineWoman from Magdala (Hebrew, girl)
- MarigoldMary's gold (English, girl)
- NiamhBright, radiant (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- SaoirseFreedom, liberty (Irish Gaelic, girl)
More girl names from Hebrew
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- EliseGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- AnneFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- DanielaGod is my judge (Hebrew, girl)
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- HannahFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabelGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabellaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- JudithWoman of judea (Hebrew, girl)
- SaraPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- AnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- ArielLion of God (Hebrew, unisex)
- ElisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ElisabethGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
Leah: common questions
What does the name Leah mean?
Leah comes from Hebrew and means "probably weary, grieved". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Leah a boy or girl name?
Leah is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Leah come from?
Leah comes from Hebrew and means "probably weary, grieved". Today it is used in English and Hebrew.
How popular is the name Leah?
Leah ranked #58 in the US in 2025, with 3,880 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Leah?
Names spelled like Leah include Lea, Lia, Leia, Lan and Lee.
What middle names go with Leah?
Middle names that flow well with Leah include Aurelia, Briar, Daisy, Harmony and Madeline. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.