Girl name · Hebrew
Leia
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: form of Leah; Princess Leia in Star WarsLeia is a girl's name that is of Hebrew origin: form of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars. It is used in English and Portuguese.
- Meaning
- Form of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #297 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Leia
As a girl's name, Leia is of Hebrew origin: form of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars. It is used in English and Portuguese.
Its meaning puts Leia on our names that mean star list.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
How popular is Leia?
- US rank in 2025
- #297
- 1,033 babies, 643 per million girls
- Best rank
- #211 in 2023
- 1,424 babies that year
- Babies since 1949
- At least 18,778
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 1 per million |
| 1960s | 12 per million |
| 1970s | 34 per million |
| 1980s | 57 per million |
| 1990s | 42 per million |
| 2000s | 114 per million |
| 2010s | 414 per million |
| 2020s | 713 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #322 | #278 | #296 | #334 | #296 | #296 | #257 | #211 | #289 | #297 |
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 Leia
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- LeilaNight, from Arabic layl (Arabic, girl)
- LaiaWell spoken (Greek, girl)
- LeaGerman form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- LeiGarland of flowers (Hawaiian, girl)
- LenaShort form of Helena or Magdalena (Greek, girl)
- LeraShort form of Valeriya, to be strong (Latin, girl)
- LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- LuciaLight, brightness (Latin, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- EstherPossibly star (Persian, girl)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- SaraPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- AkhtarA star (Persian, unisex)
- AstraeaStar (Greek, girl)
- EstelaStar (Latin, girl)
- EstellaA star (Latin, girl)
- EstelleA star (Latin, girl)
- MaristelaStar of the sea (Latin, girl)
- NajmuddinStar of the faith (Arabic, boy)
- NovaNew, a new star (Latin, girl)
- ParvinThe Pleiades star cluster (Persian, unisex)
- SadiePrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- SaraiMy princess (Hebrew, girl)
- SarinaPrincess (Hebrew, girl)
Middle names for Leia
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AureliaGolden (Latin, girl)
- EliseGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ElizabethGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- MagnoliaFlower named for botanist Pierre Magnol (French, girl)
- PatienceCalm endurance (Latin, girl)
- StellaA star (Latin, girl)
- ZinniaFlower named for Johann Zinn (English, girl)
More girl names from Hebrew
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (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)
- AnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- ArielLion of God (Hebrew, unisex)
- ElisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ElisabethGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- GabrielaGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- GabriellaGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- HannaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- JanaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
Leia: common questions
What does the name Leia mean?
Leia is of Hebrew origin: form of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars. Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Leia a boy or girl name?
Leia is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Leia come from?
Leia is of Hebrew origin: form of Leah; Princess Leia in Star Wars. Today it is used in English and Portuguese.
How popular is the name Leia?
Leia ranked #297 in the US in 2025, with 1,033 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Leia?
Names spelled like Leia include Lia, Leila, Laia, Lea and Lei.
What middle names go with Leia?
Middle names that flow well with Leia include Alice, Aurelia, Elise, Elizabeth and Magnolia. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.