A biblical name with a debated meaning
Leah comes from Hebrew Le'a, the name of one of the central women in the Book of Genesis. It is usually connected with a Hebrew word meaning “weary” or “grieved,” although another proposal links it with an Akkadian word for “cow.” The biblical name is ancient; its earliest derivation remains uncertain.
Its enduring identity comes especially from Leah's place in the family of Jacob. The name has remained part of Jewish naming for centuries and later became familiar in English Christian use, giving it a history shared across different religious communities.
Leah in the Genesis story
In Genesis, Leah is the older sister of Rachel and becomes Jacob's first wife. The story describes Jacob's preference for Rachel and Leah's desire for affection and recognition. Her experiences are closely bound to the naming of her children and the development of the family that becomes central to the biblical account of Israel.
Leah bears six sons and a daughter, Dinah. Her sons include Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, names that continue through later biblical history. Her story places Leah among the matriarchs remembered in Jewish tradition, alongside her sister Rachel.
The name was used by Jewish families in the Middle Ages. It became more typical among English Christians after the Protestant Reformation, including among Puritans who favored names drawn from the Bible. Its later American popularity developed from that much longer history.
Pronunciation and related forms
The usual English pronunciation is LEE-uh, with two syllables and first-syllable stress. Hebrew Le'a places the stress later, closer to leh-AH. Lea is a related spelling; French Léa is another familiar international form.
The final h in English Leah does not create a separate spoken consonant. Its short written form and two open syllables have helped it remain recognizable alongside longer biblical names, while the international spellings preserve the same central name with different accents and vowel sounds.
Leah Williamson and England's football team
Footballer Leah Williamson gives the name a modern sporting connection. She captained England to the Women's EURO title in 2022, when the team defeated Germany 2–1 in the final at Wembley. The victory brought England its first title in that competition.
Williamson also captained the team when it successfully defended the title in Switzerland in 2025, defeating Spain in the final. Those two tournament victories give Leah a prominent place in the recent history of women's football.
Popularity in the United States
Leah's largest American count for girls came in 2009, with 6,790 births. Its best rank followed in 2010 at number 24. It ranked number 36 in 2015, number 45 in 2020, and number 58 in 2025, when 3,880 girls received the name. Its recent use remains substantial even after its early-twenty-first-century peak.
Sources & methodologyReferences, data & attribution
Meaning and history draw on the references below. American popularity figures use published Social Security Administration records for this exact spelling; counts below five for a name, sex, and year are omitted.
How popular is Leah?
In 2025, Leah ranked #58 among girls in the United States, with 3,880 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1880; its largest annual count was 6,790 in 2009. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.