Meaning
Usage
Pronunciation
Famous
Impression
Other
It can also be a Feminine variant of Lee, which is derived from Old English Leah meaning "clearing".
https://www.behindthename.com/name/leeThis is an update to my previous comment via @LionB3 on May/4/2020
Note to editors and admins: Please delete the comment originally by @LionB3 on May/4/2020
Pretty.
Variant English Pronunciation: LAY-ə.
Some say it lee-uh, some say it lay-uh. So to avoid pronunciation errors, spell it in a way that makes your desired pronunciation more clear: Lia and Leia.
This is a nice name. I’ve only heard it pronounced Lee-uh though.
Leah is an English name of Anglo-Saxon origin that means "forest clearing" or "meadow". It is pronounced Lee-uh. This is my name and its origin.
It is also the origin of the English names Lee, Leigh and Lea which also mean Meadow, as well as the -ley -ly endings to English names such as Ashley. Ashley literally means "Meadow by the Ash tree"The Hebrew name is pronounced Lay-ah and obviously was not originally spelled with Roman characters. I understand why it is so easy to mix the two up, but they are not the same name. If someone is named Lee-uh and their parents intended to give them the name found in the Torah and Old Testament, then they are mispronouncing their name.
On the other hand if their parents intended to give them the Old English name for Meadow, then Lee-uh is correct.This is not a unique concept. Take the name Hannah for instance. It is another common name found with a different spelling and pronunciation in the original Hebrew. Yet few make the mistake of thinking the common Japanese name Hana is in any way related to the name Hannah despite sounding nearly identical. The lack of confusion is due in part to the limited adoption of Christianity in Japan and perhaps because it is easy for people to recognize that the Japanese language is completely unrelated to ancient Semitic languages.
Now apply that to English please, which is a Germanic language descended from the Indo-European family and also unrelated to the Semitic languages.
It is lazy to say that the names must be the same because they sound the same and the Bible was a popular book to read. Leah existed in the British Ilses before the advent of Christianity.
My name is Leaha and it’s pronounced Lee-uh. People call me lee-ha and lay-ha. I’ve thought about changing it to Leah, but I like that it’s different. :)
My name is Leah and I pronounce it like Leya. The correct Hebrew pronunciation is (Lay-uh) and I can confirm it because I'm Israeli.
So my friend's name is Leah but she pronounces it like "Lay-uh" and her mom is Filipino. Maybe this name is tagalog (Which is one of the languages that Filipino people speak. Because there is a user submitted name that is spelled like "Laya" and it means freedom. My friend's name always gets mistaken for the pronunciation "Lee-ah".
Huh. I also thought it was pronounced lay uh. I thought lee uh was Lia.
I know a fourteen-year-old Leah who loves horses. The name is familiar, easy to pronounce, and fun to say. I love the strong Lee sound at the beginning and the soft ah at the end, like the beat of rain. If you want to name your child Leah, go for it. Your child won’t hate it.
Leah is a nice and simple name. It's a great choice with history, and not too common.
It's a very natural type of name, reminds me of the word leaf.
My name is Leah (lee-yah) and I'm from Australia. Annoyingly I also had the problem of people mispronouncing and sometimes misspelling my name. One example is that my English teacher called me Leia (lay-ah) for a year even after multiple corrections and my classmates saying it correctly. With misspelling, my swim school spelt my name Leighah on my achievement award.
Hi! My name is Leah and I wouldn't change my name for anything!
The Hebrew version is said Lay-ah. So can you add a Hebrew saying? Thanks.
Eh, I used to like the name Leah a bit more I don’t mind this spelling but I prefer Lia. A cute middle name could be :
Lia Lydia
Lia Lysssy
Lia Lizzie.
I think it’s wonderful. I can see it on a person of any age. I also think it can be pulled off by a person with any style. I could see it on a bubbly, soft, and outgoing girl but I could also see it on a quiet, mysterious girl. I’m considering using it for a character.
Eh, I'm not a fan of the spelling. If I had to call my kid this I would chose Leia instead.
I have a best friend named Leah! Her name is soooo pretty and I would personally agree with all of you that it is the most beautiful name ever and I would totally name my child this.
I’m starting to see this name everywhere either in Leah or Lea. It’s growing on me.
Leah is honestly one of my favorite names. I like it pronounced like Lee-ah, idk it just sounds better that way. It's very pretty. When I hear "Leah" the colors pink, orange and light yellow come to me in a way, it almost reminds me of a sunrise or a flower. Beautiful indeed.
Leah is one of the eligible bachelorettes in the farming sim game Stardew Valley. She is a local artist, who lives in a small cottage. She is a sculptor, but is also shown to enjoy painting as well. Leah also frequently mentions the importance of using natural resources when possible, and taking care of nature.
Leah means "Delicate Woman" in Hebrew.
I'm Jewish and I've always known this name to be pronounced LAY-ah, because that's the Hebrew pronunciation of the Biblical Leah. When I hear the pronunciation "LEE-ah," I always imagine the names Lia and Lea. One time my mom told me that LAY-ah is the Jewish pronunciation and LEE-ah is the non-Jewish pronunciation. Although, of course, non-Jewish LAYahs and Jewish LEEahs are very possible! I absolutely love this classic name!
Also used in Dutch: https://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nvb/naam/is/Leah
Also used in Norway, Sweden and occasionally in Denmark: https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Leah
Elegant and pretty.
It's okay. I dislike the meaning and it is starting to sound a tiny bit dated.
I think Leah is a beautiful name. Although the meaning “weary” is quite unfortunate and rather sad, the name still holds an undeniably graceful and beautiful charm. It rolls off the tongue smoother than honey, and is delightfully pleasing to the ears. I also find it quite nice that it has a biblical reference. Also, in my opinion, this is a name I can see “fitting”, if you will, several different personalities, whether it be a tomboyish daddy's-girl who loves playing sports and fixing nice cars, or a sweet cheerleader who has a big heart and finds joy in playing around with makeup and cute dresses and spending time with her friends, or a kind shy girl whom you rarely ever catch without a smile on her face.
Overall, I think Leah is a gorgeous name.
Also Judeo-Anglo-Norman.
Source: Seror, Simon "Les noms des femmes juives en Angleterre au Moyen Âge".
Love it! And pronounced LEE - ah.
I was named Leah by my dad because he heard the song by Roy Orbison and loved the name. He said if he ever had a daughter he was naming her Leah. Funny thing is the song references pearls and I love pearls. Not that it has anything to do with the meaning of the name itself, just find it interestingly funny.
I like it best as a middle name, pronounced LEE.
@noisynora, why would you pronounce this lee? You know it's pronounced Lee-ǝ.
Nothing interesting, just boring, feels dry, like a sound is missing or something. I don't like it much. Boring!
I don’t really know why, but I don’t really like Leah with an ‘h’ on the end. It just sounds a bit chavy to me? Perhaps it’s because I know someone called ‘Lia’ and so I’ve gotten used to the name without an ‘h’. Idk, but it is a pretty name no matter the spelling.
This name reminds me of a blonde, tan, summer-y kind of girl. Definitely reminds me of a very happy and positive type of person, beach-y in a way, maybe a surfer? I have some synesthesia so I think of yellow and orange when I hear Leah. This name makes me so happy for no reason at all haha. Good vibes/10.
Name of the day January 5, 2021.
Not bad. I think of flowers whenever I hear this name.
So pretty!
A meaning of a name doesn’t describe a person! Leah is such a beautiful name, I could care less about the meaning. The name itself matters.
Leah is so pretty! I think of flowers when I hear it :).
Leah is Hebrew while Lea is Latin. Don't mix those two. Leah means weary and Lea is a feminine form of Latin word Leo (lion) which means lioness.
Leah with an h is Hebrew, but comes from Assyrian origin before that, and it meant ruler. The name does not mean weary, that’s describing the Bible character with this name. Please do some research and not just a 5 second google search of the name.
It can also deriverom Old English Leah meaning "clearing".
https://www.behindthename.com/name/lee
I love this name and I love both the English pronunciation (Lee-ah) and the Hebrew pronunciation (lay-uh). I might name my daughter this if I ever have one.
Cute and pretty.
So adorable and pretty! I prefer this a thousand times more over Mia.
Leah Van Dale (Aka Carmella) is an American Professional Wrestler under the ring name Carmella. She is part of the WWE and has won one championship in her time there!
I never liked my name but now I do after reading this.
A Leah is also a word that means meadow or grassland In old English.
I’m in the minority here, I dislike the H. Lea is much prettier.
Leah could also mean "the light of the sun" in Gaelic/Irish, other than meaning "weary" in Hebrew.
I'm a fluent Irish speaker and a native Irish woman: Leah does not mean light of the sun. That seems to be a recent "revelation" born on wikipedia and people are now accepting it as truth. The word for light is solas, and ghrian is the sun and as a user already helpfully pointed out solas na gréine is light of the sun.
The person who says it means "the light of the sun" in Irish/Gaelic needs to do some fact checking. It took me like 15 seconds on Google.
Here you go folks : The light of the sun = Solas na Gréine
Not. Even. Close. Thanks and have fun perusing this site.
Can anyone actually prove that it has a Gaelic origin? That just seems to be something someone put on Wikipedia, and now suddenly everyone is accepting it as a fact. 20 years ago, I had to research the origin of my name for a school project, and the only information I could find was that it was Hebrew for ‘weary’.
If it's spelled "Lia" and pronounced Lee-ah it means bringer of good news in Greek.
Leah is the best, prettiest name ever! Every girl should have it! Cute and Italian.
My name is Leah and I have always loved it! The meaning may not be the best but it doesn’t describe a person. Getting bullied at school for a name has never happened to me, or any of my friends. If I ever named my daughter this or with any other name I always ask this question to myself: What if my name was this? How would I feel about it?
My middle name is: Leah Christelle
Other suggestions:
Leah Rose
Leah Marie
Leah Claire
Leah Grace.
Leah is the coolest name ever.
Leah Hope Gosselin is the daughter of Jon and Kate from the reality show “Kate Plus Eight”.
Really pretty. The meaning doesn't bother me too much.
Leah Rose Clements and her sister Ava Marie Clements are known as the most beautiful twins in the world.
I love my name- it nearly describes me!
The word Leah also means an open meadow, pasture or grassland in Old English and other Proto Indo-European languages.
It is a really beautiful sounding name, but is like a name an obnoxious popular stuck up girl would have XD
Also Leah is a nice Arabic Muslim name.
Overall, I think that my name is okay. I don't like the fact that it means 'weary' in Hebrew, but I still like the sound of the name. But I don't think it's an 'ugly' name.
Pretty but rather bland, especially with a meaning like 'weary'.
The different meanings of the name Leah are: Celtic - Gaelic meaning: The light of the sun.
Hebrew meaning: Tired or weary.
Irish meaning: The light of the sun.
Assyrian meaning: Mistress, ruler (Mistress as in the Lady of the house).
It’s kind of boring. Also, I could see a lot of kids being cruel with nicknames about a certain STD that rhymes with it.
It’s interesting the difference in opinions I read about the name’s popularity. Some say it’s rare while others say it’s too common. I think it’s just right. It’s just common enough to be normal and familiar but not so overdone that you hear it everywhere. This is the name I gave my youngest child- a name I’ve liked for a long time and always wanted to use.
Leah is the name of one of “the most beautiful twins in the world”. Her sister’s name is Ava. They have a huge social media following.
In 2018, 2 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Leah who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 330th most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.
My name is Leah and my dad picked it and I love this name and the meaning.
Any Israelis reading this correct me if I'm wrong but it seems Leah is an old-lady-ish, prudish name in Israel(?) Kind of like Myrtle or Olive in America. I like it but would hesitate to name a daughter Leah for that reason. Guess this isn't a problem if you never plan to spend significant time in Israel though. In America it's a more youthful name with a less rigid image.
I prefer Leatrice, but Leah's pretty nice too.
I kind of like it. I like Leatrice more, but Leah sounds dignified and all that. Leah was also a good Biblical character, but very misunderstood. I am not Christian, but I kind of feel sorry for the Biblical Leah. And I like the name.
My name is Leah and I love the name so if anyone is out there named Leah, then go you.
We just named our daughter Leah. It is interesting to read all the posts and see how people view naming differently. We looked at Leah as a pretty name on its own. Then we added it to the last name and it looked good together. Then we thought of people we hate (there aren’t many) and no Leahs there... Done! The biblical meanings are irrelevant to us. Kids get picked on for many reasons and if the name Leah is one of them - ohhh well, she will have to learn how to fend for herself. Love the name!
Very beautiful name. Mesopotamian/Assyrian Arabic origin. I don’t like it being used by these white people who don’t know its history because it personally ruins the name for me.
I had twins and named the one Leiah. I like to be different so I spelt it a little differently. Also keeping in mind to keep it 5 letters as her sister Carla is 5 letters and Jaime is 5 and surname being 5 letters. I'm weird, I know. I'd still love to know the meaning of why I did this. Lol.
My name is Leah and my father picked it, for he loved the name in the song by Roy Orbison, 'Leah". As a child it was a difficult name to have. Rare yes, but it rhymes with too many negative things. Did not help that my generation called for leotards & such things. I will admit my name has inspired the guys I work with to make it into song. Leah Leah Boebia etc. I've had a lot of compliments on my torture name over the years, both good and bad.
Leah is a pretty, feminine name. I slightly prefer the "layah" pronunciation, but either way it is a lovely name.
People always pronounce my name wrong, and I'm uncomfortable saying it over and over as it doesn't roll off my tongue correctly. Otherwise, in writing it looks okay. Parents, be aware of the mispronunciation that your child will have to go through if you name them this.
Leah is the old name of Assyria! That's the oldest name on earth, 30, 000 yrs. It is not Italian or Greek, Hebrew or Persian!... Everything is a LIE in a christian world.. Everything comes from Assyria/Akkadia also the holy mother Maria (Mother of the Arians=Maa'Aria), she was kidnapped in Ariana/Assyria by the Greeks in ancient times.
My name is Leah Nichol S. Not only do I have a biblical first name but I'm well known for my middle and last name as well. All I can say is I don't judge my name based on the fact that I was raised by a minister nor the genealogy portrayed. But what I do base my name on is what I make of it in my life time. Yes I love the stories and history based on my first name but honestly what has happened in the past does not and will never determine who I am nor will ever be as an individual based on my independent special name LEAH.
Leah is one of the most common names I really like, and I like it more than Leo which is also very popular. It has nice history but not a very nice meaning. I might use Leah as a middle name. I also really prefer Leah to Rachel.
Song by Bruce Springsteen. Song name is Leah. Devils & Dust album 2005. By the way, my name is Leah!
My name is 'Leah' or as my teacher would have called me ' Lay-a ', being called ' Lay-a ' is like your name being Emma and then instead of calling you Emma they call you Gemma, just imagine how annoying that is. There are two sides to this name, it's short and sweet but it also means wild cow which is absolutely terrible, I was called a wild cow by one person in my grade allllll through one of my school years, I hated it more than being called 'Lay-a'... I pronounce my name 'Lee -ah'
Cute and sweet!
This is a really nice name but it's been ruined by how highly popular it is.
Leah Marie Remini is an American actress, producer, and since 2013 an Anti-Scientology activist. She is best known for her roles as Carrie Heffernan on the comedy series The King of Queens and Lara in the film Old School, as well as a co-hosting The Talk from 2010–2011. Remini starred in the show Leah Remini: It's All Relative.
My mother was planning on using this name but everyone else didn't seem to enjoy the name, so she picked Makayla instead. I've been hearing a lot of bad things, and very few good things about my name, but I really wished my mom had picked this name instead of the one I use today. Oh well, no need to have a little self pity party, but I really do enjoy the name.
Leah is an amazing name, in fact I bear this name. Sure, it's a little plain, but it has an amazing history if you really think about it. It has different meanings in cultures such as American, Celtic, Hebrew, Irish, Assyrian, and Greek. I personally love the name Leah.
My name is Leah (pronounced Lee-ah); however, on first meeting me people do tend to think it's pronounced Lee or Lay-ah. I've even had someone respond to an email I've sent them (where my name was all over it) spelling it as Leigh.On the nickname front, I have several but the one I was mostly called when I was younger was Lee-Lee, which eventually morphed into Lily which I get called now.
Leah Clark is an American voice actress and ADR script writer/director working for Funimation. She has provided numerous voices for Japanese anime series and video games. Some of her major roles include Suzuka Asahina in Suzuka, Saki Morimi in Eden of the East, Eri Sawachika in School Rumble, Blair in Soul Eater, and Minami Shimada in Baka and Test.
A suggestion would be Lila if you're looking for a name that is a little less common/more exotic sounding,
I think this name is super pretty but it's just too plain. I want to find a name that has a similar feel but not as plain and boring.
Leah Lawson is 2016 Miss South Carolina. She was also in the top 15 at the Miss USA 2016 pageant.
Pretty, but plain. Along with Isabella, Audrey, Katherine, Emily, the list could go on and on. It is still a great name, but due to the popularity I prefer something like Leanna or Lena with Leah as a diminutive.
I like it. Simple and pretty.
My name is Leah. It means cow in Hebrew, and in another language but it means 'meadow.' My dad teases me about the meaning of my name, saying, "In one language, it means cow, and in another, it means cow food." It's annoying, but it's better than say, banana...When I was in Grade 7, people would call me Leia (like in Star Wars) and it annoyed me to no end...
Leah spelled backward is Heal which makes me like the name even more.
I think you meant Hael, who in folklore is an angel that inspires beauty, art and kindness.
I really like this Old Testament name pronounced Lee-uh.
Shimmer and Shine is a cute cartoon with a character named Leah. Leah's best friends are genies and she also has a pal named Zach.
I think it's a lovely name for a strong girl or woman, but I also hate hearing it so often due to its popularity.
Leah is a girl's name. I also don't really like the spelling "Leigh" as it seems too frilly. Lee would be good for females as well. At least no one is saying Lisa is a boy's name. Over 99.9 percent of Leahs are female. Don't spell it Leigha because Leigh is the feminine spelling. Seriously, how many boy's names end in -ah or a.
Girls
Amanda, Jessica, Anna, Rosa, Lydia, Liana, Diana, Julia, Alexa, and many more.
Boys-
I cant think of sny.
Leah is the name of the green eyed, blonde girl on Nick Jr.'s animated children's television series, Shimmer and Shine. The series premiered in August 2015 and is centered on Leah and her secret genies, Shimmer and Shine, who help her when problems arise.
I've always pronounced it/ heard it pronounced "Lee," and found it kind of unremarkable and dull... nothing terribly against it other than that.
Love this name! It's my cousin's name I call her LeeAnn, LeeLee, Lead, Leen, (so many nicknames, lol) I love her name and I love her lots! Her brother is named Jake which is more common but it's not that bad. I don't know many Leah's though. Lea Michelle is an actress. (like the Leah spelling).
Beautiful, sweet name.
Ugly name. Looks like diarrhea to me.
Leah is such a cute name for a little girl. It's popular in Norway where I am from.
My name is Leah and I am swedish. I love my name. It is unique and pretty.
My name is Leah. (Pronounced lee-a) I am Welsh.
The name is brilliant and I wouldn't change it for the world!
Nice name hut not a fan of its meaning as it means 'sleep head' or 'sleepy one' something like that.
Nice name but wouldn't use it because of that.
My name is Leah. I didn't like it before but I've grown to love it now. I am English and the name is pronounced Lee-ah here but I prefer it as lay- ah. I love my name a lot and when I researched the meaning I got that it meant 'gift'. Though it has other meanings that doesn't matter because I choose to present myself as a gift to my family and society. So I love my name though it's simple, because being simple is the best, especially in the sight of Christ. I love my name and thank god for that.
Leah is my name.. Yes, one of the meanings is "weary". But nobody has actually looked at why it means weary. If you know the Bible story of Leah and Jacob, there is a part at the end that says "she cried so much she made God weary with her tears". That is probably not an exact quote, but you get the drift. I like my name, growing up there were hardly any Leah's about, but now it is much more popular.
Leah is a sweet and pretty name. =)
Leah McFall is a Irish singer-songwriter, born (1 July 1989) in Newtownabbey, Ireland. She was a runner-up on the second series of the BBC talent show The Voice.
I live in Southern California and have met 3 little girls named Leah. All 3 were intelligent, funny, cute and sweet. It's a great name.
Beautiful name. Short and sweet.
Biblical name: Hebrew origin, meaning "Gazelle" which is "beauty and grace", "also worthy cow" as in the biblical days cows were very valuable and treasured.
Leah de Wavrin is a famous model with this name. Beautiful name. My little girl will be called Leah Rose.
Beautiful name that works well on a little girl or mature adult. Reminds me of someone sweet, fun loving, and adorable. Yes, it means weary, but what successful person isn't weary? Leah is a hard worker who doesn't rest on her laurels.
Also has great historical significance. In the bible, Jesus is the descendent of Leah's tribe.
My name is spelled a little differently, "Leigha" (the male spelling of Leah with an 'a' to make it feminine again)Same name, my mother was just disagreeing with my dad's chipper name choice. (I don't blame her! After 12 hours of labor she deserved the right to pick my name altogether!) :P.
There is no masculine spelling of Leah. It's a feminine name. And anyways, 'Leigh' would be pronounced "LEE", not "LEE-a".
Wow, seeing all these comments, it never ever occurred to me to pronounce it LEE-ah. I've always said it Lay-uh. That's how I've always heard it pronounced. But yeah, I think Leah is such a pretty name but I don't like the pronunciation of it in "English" at all. (Since a lot of English and Americans pronounce it LAY-uh, too, I wouldn't exactly call it English.) I like how it can be shorted to Le' (pronounced like lei) in the way that the other pronunciation can't.
I love this name! It's so pretty, and it ages well. I was pleasantly surprised by its popularity, I've only met one person named Leah in my life. It's an awesome name!
Leah is the name of one of the four main characters in the bestselling novel "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. In the novel, Leah and her sisters move to the Congo during the 1950s for their father's work as a preacher. Leah ends up marrying a man from the Congo, and lives there for the rest of her life.Leah Messer is a reality television star who appeared first on "16 and Pregnant" and again on "Teen Mom 2." Leah had twin girls with her boyfriend Corey. She and Corey got married, then divorced, and most recently Leah, now 20, has gotten married again, this time to Jeremy Calvert.Another Leah from the same franchise is the young daughter of Amber Portwood, one of the stars of 'Teen Mom.'
Leah Remini (b. 1970 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actress.
Simple, pretty girls name.
I know a girl whose name is spelt this way, yet it is pronounced as lay-uh. Something to consider.
My name is Leah (pronounced Lee-uh) and no one has ever pronounced it like Lay-uh. I like my name. I think it's simple, but not boring and pretty. My friends sometimes call me Princess Leia, but no one has ever said that to make fun of me. Also, I like the spelling Leah a lot better than Lea and Lia. (I never think of Leah as Lay-uh. Leia is Lay-uh and Leah, Lea, and Lia are Lee-uh.)
This is very pretty, one of my favorites.
I have a friend named Leah at school. She pronounces it as "LEE-uh," and I prefer that pronunciation. However, substitute teacher always pronounce it as either "Lay" or "Lee." I still don't get why, though. I always though the name was easy to pronounce.
I know twins, a boy and a girl named Luke and Leah. It's really sad because their parents didn't even realize it until like 3 years later.
This is my aunty's name and it's pronounced (lay-ah) sometimes I hear this name with other people but it's pronounced (lee-ah) haha. I like this name because it sounds mature and also can be used for a younger girl too.
Leah is a cute name, very soft and sweet. I've never met one before.
A friend of mine pronounces it LAYah not LEEah which I've never heard before.
A new, up and coming, name in Israel is Leah/Liya spelt Lamed Yud Alef. It literally means, God is mine/God is for me.
In addition to pronouncing like LEE-ah, many people also pronounce the name like LAY-ah, which is the traditional Hebrew pronunciation. (I know this because this is my sister's name, and we are Jewish.)
Aww. I love the name Leah! It's just so sweet sounding! (:
This is my Hebrew name, and it is pronounced Lay-uh. I actually attempted to go by this in high school (although, spelling it Leyah), but it didn't catch on. I really like this name and it's on my consideration list for a daughter, or possibly her Hebrew name.
My name is Leah and I've somehow picked up the nickname Elle. I love my name now. My not so nice nicknames growing up: Leah-peah-diarrhea, Leahtard, Heuh-Leah (I matured late.)
My mom named me Leah then went on to name my younger much more beautiful sister (although she is the one with bad eyes) Rachel. Talk about depressing. I still love it.
I really have come to love this name. I do like the spelling Leah, and I even like Lia, but my favorite spelling is Leigha. That's probably because my middle name is Leigh. I just think the spelling "Leigha" is so much prettier and classier than "Leah" or "Lia". Maybe because they look too short to me. I like longer names so I guess that's why Leigha just appeals to me more. I like both pronunciations of Lee-ah (or Lee-uh) and Lay-ah (or Lay-uh). But I would use the pronunciation Lee-ah. And about the meanings: I've heard it means "cow" or "weary" but if you use the spelling Leigha it's more like Leigh which means "meadow". I've found one meaning, "Light of the Sun" in Irish Gaelic.
Leah Remini
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leah_Remini#Personal_life
I love the name Leah, it's really sweet, pretty and an overall classy name. I love the way it's spelt and how it sounds. I could never get tired of this name, I love that it's biblical and everything about it.
This is extremely frustrating to me, as a Jew, because I have always been taught that the pronunciation is Lay-ah. Also, the Hebrew on this very site is pronounced that way. To me, pronouncing it as Lee-ah is disrespectful to Jews and a blatant disregard for the Hebrew language. Personally, I am insulted. I am sorry if I hurt anyone with this comment I just needed to say these things.
Response to post on 6/19/09:
I'm also jewish. Either pronunciation is correct. It's just a matter of whether someone prefers the Hebrew pronunciation or the English pronunciation. Below are some well-known jews named Leah, all of whom pronounce their names "Lee-uh". Leah Kauffman - singer/songwriter, wrote and sang several popular viral videos, including "I Got a Crush on Obama", which has nearly 26 million views on YouTube. Leah Siegel - singer/songwriter with band Firehorse, daughter of NPR broadcaster Robert Siegel. Leah Remini - actress, leading role on CBS sitcom "The King of Queens". Her mother is jewish of Austrian origin.Leah LaBelle - R&B singer and recording artist, 12th place finalist on Season 3 of American Idol. Her parents are Bulgarian jews.
My wife and I are Jewish and live in the U.S. We named our daughter Leah and we pronounce it "Lee-ah". We know of many other Jewish people that pronounce it "Lee-ah" as well. The traditional Hebrew pronunciation is similar to "Lay-ah", whereas the English pronunciation is more commonly "Lee-ah". Both pronunciations are perfectly acceptable. My wife and I personally preferred the pronunciation of "Lee-ah", especially since Leah is our daughter's first name, not her Hebrew name. Also, we asked an important Orthodox Rabbi about how we should spell the name, we told him we are pronouncing it "Lee-ah" and we were debating whether to spell it "Leah" or "Lea". He said it's very good to spell it "Leah" because the letter H in the Hebrew alphabet ("Hei") represents God.
Leah is a very sweet name.
I think this is a very cute name for a little girl, a good normal name for a teen, and a sophisticated name for an elderly lady. You can't go wrong when you name your little girl Leah!
In the Bible, Leah was the first wife of Jacob, and the older sister of Rachel. When God saw that Jacob did not love her as much as Rachel, he blessed Leah by giving her many children. Through her son Judah, she is one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ. It is thought that Jacob eventually grew to love and respect Leah, and the two were buried in the same tomb together.
I have always felt a close personal connection to the biblical Leah. I am less attractive than my sister, so I can understand what she must have felt like. I am happy that God had compassion for her and blessed her with many children, as well as allowing her to be an ancestor of Christ. No matter how you pronounce it or what it means, Leah is a graceful and lovely name.
Leah Miller, host of So You Think You Can Dance Canada? and a host of MuchMusic's MuchOnDemand. She pronounces it LAY-uh.
LEAH was the first wife of JACOB. I see the plot of a Twilight fanfic being developed, here!
I love the name Leah (Lee-ah). If I ever have a little girl, that is what I will call her. Also, my favorite TV show is Jon and Kate plus 8, and they have a cute little Asian daughter named Leah.
To that anonymous user up there that mentioned Jon and Kate plus 8: That little girl is not Asian, pal. She's American. And, no, the dad isn't Asian, either. He was born and raised in America and is half European American anyway.
Leah Isadora Behn (born April 8, 2005) is the second daughter of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and husband Ari Behn. She was born at the princess's summer residence Bloksbjerg at Hankø island, in the municipality of Fredrikstad.Leah Isadora is the 6th in succession to the Norwegian throne, after her sister Maud Angelica. Leah Isadora is a grandchild of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway.
The Hebrew pronunciation of this name is LAY-uh.
I love the name Leah, but I often use a respelling, adding in a silent y. Lyeah is a beautiful spelling to me, along with the original Leah.
Leah Larson is the creator of Yaldah, a magazine for Jewish girls, by Jewish girls!
I really like this name. I live in Holland and here people pronounce it LAY-ah which I like better than LEE-ah. I don't mind that it apparently means cow 'cause I love cows. They're really sweet animals and why anyone thinks it's a bad meaning is beyond me.
Leah is pronounced the way it is written: Lee-ah. Of course I'm sure some people prefer it pronounced Lay-ah (most likely derived from Star Wars' Leia) but generally speaking, it's not.I love this name, it's the name of my youngest cousin and she really suits it. I think it's a good name because it can suit a girly girl or a tomboy (I know one of each with this name).
The pronunciation LAY-uh is not at all derived from Star Wars! LAY-uh is the original Hebrew pronunciation, it is older then LEE-uh which is the Anglicized pronunciation. Leia is just a different spelling of Leah, with no etymological background I don't think.
My given name is LEAH, pronounced "LEE-ah" - emphasis on the first syllable. I was named for Princess Leia of "Star Wars" fame - my father thought it was short, feminine, sweet, & simple. I did not like my name as a child, but have grown to love it for it's simplicity and mature sound.
Leah Dizon is a model/singer/actress/TV personality in Japan; she is of mixed Chinese, Filipino, & French. She was born in Nevada, USA.
I love the name Leah. It is so beatiful. I would have loved to be named Leah. I think this name is beautiful no matter what it means. This name is in the Bible.
Leah Clearwater is a female werewolf in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.
I really like this name, but prefer the spelling Lia.
Leah is my name, pronounced Lee-uh, and I've always had a love/hate relationship with it. I've only ever met a handful of people that actually pronounce it right and the Star Wars jokes got old at about age 5. By the time I got to high school I stopped correcting people and still don't so most people think my name is Lee or Laya(Leia). But all in all, I do like my name and I think it is sweet and unique. On an interesting side note, I take Spanish and whenever the teacher tells our class to read something, I think she is calling on me, lol. Also, I too look up whenever I hear some shout "Yeah!"
Pronounced Lay-a.
Leah Farash Karp is a real estate agent and is included in the new book In Their Shoes by Deborah Reber.
My name is Leah (Le-uh) and I adore it! It is a beautifull traditonal Jewish name and is always so sweet sounding! I however hate it when people pronounce it Lay-ah, in high school everyone started confusing my name with Lay-ah and bugged me sooo much! Lay-ah is not Jewish and will always make people think of the princess from "Star Wars". If you name your daughter Leah it is likely she will be blessed with fantastic comments about her name throughout her life!
Leah is one of the cute little Asian girls on Jon and Kate Plus 8.
I have to say I LOVE this name. Both of them LEE-ah and LAY-ah, I think I prefer LAY-ah though. I might spell it "Layah" but I don't know.
I was told that the true Hebrew pronunciation of this name was not "LAY-ah", but instead "lay-AHH", with the emphasis on the latter syllable.
And to many of you above - I agree - Leah is a remarkable unique name (although it's gained popularity over the last two decades)! When I was little, I longed to have the name Jessica or Nicole or Kristin instead of Leah, but now I love it and am proud to have this name.
Interestingly, in the Bible, Leah was the mother of Judah, who is an ancestor of Jesus. And if you read Genesis carefully, you'll find that Jacob held Leah in very high regard. I've read also that Leah from Genesis was not ugly (which one automatically assumes when reading that Jacob loved Rachel because she was beautiful) - the Hebrew apparently can be interpreted to mean that Leah just had weak eyes.
The name itself is awesome (though sometimes it makes me think of Princess Leia), but the meaning 'weary' ruins it all. If it could just have a different meaning!
Leah is a beautiful name. I really like it. If I was about to get a dog or cat I would name her Leah. If it was a boy dog/cat I would name him Lee.
I really think Leah is a name that is common. I don`t like common names. I only like rare and uncommon names. If I had to choose any short form of Leah it would be Lia.
My friend's daughter was named Leah and I was thoroughly impressed by her good taste. Then I discovered that she spelled it Leigha and I felt completely disappointed in her. This cutesy spelling ruins a beautiful, classic name.
My name is Leah, pronounced lee-ah and I like it now. I often get compliments on it. As a kid however I was called names like Leahtard and Leah pee-a diarea. I hated it and wished I had a pretty, fancier name.
Someone mentioned that the meaning of Leah includes "little eyes" but there is some debate over what "little eyes" actually means. Some theologists and linguists say that it could very possibly mean that she had weak eyes, not small. Weak eyes meaning she was perhaps blind or did not have perfect sight. I believe most versions of the Bible do not use the actual term "little eyes."
I love the name Leah. It's my name and I think it is beautiful. I hate it when people pronounce it Lay-ah. I've never met anyone with the name Leah that pronouced it that way. I have always heard it pronounced Lee-ah.
Leah is one of my favorite names. However, I prefer the spelling "Leigha". For everyone who says the pronunciation is 'lay-ah', wouldn't it make more sense to spell it "Leia" (yes, like the princess on Star Wars) instead?
My name is Leah (Lee-ah). I come from a clergy family so I was named after Leah from the book of Genesis. I too have gone through a love/hate relationship with the name. Now that I am older, I love it again. Leah is one of those names that sounds like you are singing it and not speaking it. Only certain situations when someone shouts, "Yeah," it can sound similar to Leah, that is a bit frustrating. But really, think how lucky we are. We are never going to have the same situations as people named Katie, or Jenny, or Becky. More often than not you will be the only Leah in a crowd, and to me that is pretty amazing with the poplulation crisis. It is different enough that people remember who you are, yet "normal" enough that it isn't completely mangled when pronounce. How lucky we are! To be named Leah.
I like this name. I think it is very pretty. This is one of my friend's name and is also my aunt's name. I don't like any alternative spelling. I like this spelling the best!
I personally consider Leah to be a terrible name; it always makes me think of an incredibly bland, dull, dumb person.
I heard somewhere that this name means "to weep", but I'm not sure whether that is true or not. I've never heard it anywhere else.
I think this is a really cute name, short but sweet!
Might it have a connection to the Old English for "meadow"?
No there is no way they are connected. Leah is from ancient Hebrew- much too early and much too far away!
My name is Leah and I was born in 1986 and I personally, would not recommend anyone to give this name to their child. You cannot make any nicknames out of it except for Lee. It will ALWAYS get mistaken for The Star Wars Princess Leia (and people will pronounce it like) Layla, Leyah, Lela (the list goes on). Leah has become a extremely popular name in my generation and amongst baby girls. Think of your child, you may not mind that it's popular but most likely your child will. It means "the weary one" if meanings mean nothing to you take into consideration your child might care one day. This is not a name for you, this is a name your child will have to live with everyday for the rest of her life. I still think it's too plain and boring and sounds like a male name to me.
Leah is my name. It is pretty but sounds old after a while. (Meaning the name sounds old). I was named after my grandma. It definitely means weary, my grandma used to say that. I have to say it is sweet and innocent and nice because it is not very common. I say it like "Lee-uh".
I commented earlier on Leah's meaning. Since then, I did some more research. One of the sites I checked into was a Jewish one. It said that while Leah may mean "weary" in Hebrew (for she "wearied" of being married because her younger sister was so beautiful), Leah was really named in Chaldees - not in Hebrew - and the Assyrian use of that name means "mistress" of the manor or "ruler."
I just love this name. It's simple and feminine. If I ever have a daughter, I'll name her Leah.
A very sweet name, I prefer Lea though (pronounced Lee-ah).
Leah has been in use since the 1880's and since the 1980's has been a consistently used name.
Listen to the German pronunciation of Leah here:
http://www.nordicnames.de/Aussprache.html.
This is a such a simple, yet pretty and very feminine name. I just love it.
Webster's New World College Dictionary (4th Ed.) says Leah means "gazelle." My bible program says it means "weary." The "Oxford Dictionary of First Names" says Leah means "languid." Since Leah's sister, Rachel, has the meaning "ewe," "gazelle" seems likely to me. It really doesn't matter, though. Leah is a beautiful name.
I also wanted to add that my bible program also says Leah means "gazelle." I suppose it's one of those names (like Mary, Katherine) whose meaning no one really knows for sure.
I am the owner of this wonderful name. I find it to be a beautiful name. The correct pronunciation is Lee-uh, and anything else sounds choppy and ugly. I have been called Lee, Leigh, and Laya. I HATE that, and I think people should learn how to pronounce basic names that hundreds of people own. I also don't like the freak spellings, Leeuh, Leea, Leuah, Leuh, Leeah, Liya, Leya, Liuh, etc. They don't look like the spelling and really take away from the history of the name and it's original beauty. But, anyway, about nicknames, I don't mind being called Princess Leia mostly because I had a beloved cousin who called me that. Other nicknames are really few and far between.
Leah Remini is a famous bearer.
Many people think the name Leah means Cow, Ewe, or Weary when in fact I have always known it to mean "Contented One."
The Hebrew pronunciation for this is LEH-AH.
My name is Liya, which is a Polish form of Leah. When spelled as my name is, it also means "vela" (a sort of climbing plant, like ivy) in Sinhalese, and poets writing in that language often allude to vela to symbolize the graceful curves of a woman's body. Personally, I prefer the Sinhalese meaning over the Hebrew one!
I have always loved this name. It's feminine and pretty without being frilly or pretentious, is not overused at all and has a lovely sense of timelessness to it. I prefer the pronunciation lee-a as opposed to lay-a.
I think this is a pretty name, not terribly common, but not very conspicuous either. It brings to mind a woman who is very kind and strong.
Leah is an incredibly beautiful name.
I really love the name Leah as I am the only one I know who has it, even for a middle name. I have a different pronunciation than anyone else though. I pronounce it like Lee, and everyone else pronounces it wrong because of how it's spelled. I like it though. It has even come to allow me to have my own adjective, Kristenly, as opposed to Kristen Leah. I love it.
I like the pronunciation of the name Leah as LAY-ah. But why not spice up the spelling a little and spell it Leija. Muuuuch better. =)
My name is Leah. And yes people pronounce it wrong a lot, they mostly say 'Lay-uh' but mine is pronounced 'Lee-ah' and they get my last name wrong too, so it's a jumbled mess. But anyway, I hate the meaning 'weary', it's really stupid if you ask me. I had to do a report on my name and had to tell everyone it meant weary, while everyone else meant like 'beautiful'. I'm also refered to as 'Lay-uh' from Star Wars, and to make it worse my brother's name is Luke. But I like how short it is, and it's pretty unigue, I like that not many people have it.
I truly love the name Leah, but I would spell it Liah or Lia. I know a girl named Leah and everybody thinks it's funny to call her Princess Lay-uh.
I'm naming my first baby girl Leah. Welsh pronunciation is Lee-uhh - don't say it too fast or it'll sound slightly masculine. Gorgeous name for a heavenly little girl. ♥
I don't like the other spellings such as Leia or Lea - they just look terrible, along with all the other exotic ways to spell, say, and nickname many names lately. :( Unfortunate.
My name is Leah, peronally I find it very plain and even more so when I found out it meant "weary". And I found out I've been spelling it wrong all these years I'm Italian and I suppose I'm supposed to spell it Lia.
My name is Leah and I am really pleased. Everyone I know likes it, who cares that it means "cow". I am from Welsh parents, so thank you mum you made me very happy!
I speak Hebrew as well, and the actual pronunciation of the original name IS lay-ah. I think it's a wonderful name, and I would name a daughter that if it weren't my mother's middle name.
My name is Leah and I absolutely love it as does everyone who knows me! It's pronounced LEE-A but I think I would prefer the original LAY-A. It is so pretty and feminine. Everyone seems to not like that it means cow but you're forgetting that to Hebrews cows are sacred creatures!
Leah is one of my favourite names, it's so beautiful and simple. When I have a little girl that's what I'll call her.
I love this name - any pronunciation is gorgeous, but I like Lee even though it is wrong. I don't like any of the other spellings for this pronunciation, example: I do not like Leigh. Leah is wonderful, and my favorite combonation is Leah Rose.
It's funny to find so many comments on my name, although I suppose it's not really MY name. In English, I believe that the correct pronunciation is LEE-uh, although the Hebrew is LAY-uh. Personally, I like them both. I've never heard of it meaning "cow". As a student I think "weary" is rather fitting, but I like the Assyrian meaning too. I hope that all you Leahs who hate the name will grow to like it.
History also contends that a meaning of this name is "cow." Note that the name Rachel, Leah's sister means "Ewe," or female sheep. Leah was considered less than pretty. She is descibed as having "small eyes," while Rachel is preferred in appearance.
My name is Leah, and it's pronounced "Lay-ah" (or "Lay-uh, whatever you prefer). However, I'm not sure if my mother just spelled my name wrong or it's really pronounced like this. I'm Filipino, and whenever other Filipinos see my name, they pronounce it "Lay-ah." I'm not too crazy about my name because I grew up with exotic ideas, and Leah was too plain for me. But it's easy for other people to remember, especially if you say "Star Wars." You may get some jokes, but there is a downside to every name, "normal" or not.
I wouldn't want to name my child this, but it is a nice name, it's very pretty actually.
My name is Leah and I pronounce it Lee-ah. I am from Wales and know only one other person with the name. I don't like it because I heard it means holy cow!
I see this name listed as female, with only "Lee" listed as masculine. However, I have known several men named "Leah", so it is used for both sexes.
My name is Leah and it is pronounced LEE-AH. I love this name as I only know of 2 other people with the same name. It is a very pretty name and I wouldn't want any other name!
Leah is the best name ever! If you were lucky enough to be called Leah go you! It is very sweet and pretty
My name is Lea. Without the H behind it. Maybe it is a more Danish version of the "real name": Leah (because I am Danish). It is pronounced in the same way. I have never heard a name that I liked better than my own. It is beautiful, short, very international and special. And I like the history behind it, that it originates from the Bible. And Hebrew is beautiful, so that is also nice. But it seems like more and more people are given this name, and I don't like that, :( because then it's not so special anymore.
My name is Leah, correctly PRONOUNCED Lee-uh! If it's spelled differently it's pronounced Lay-uh! And it's the worst possible name for a child. It means weary and cow. To subject your child to endless torment, teasing (I want to lay-uh on lee-uh), and mispronunciation throughout their lives name them Leah.
I used to pronounce this name as "LEE", but now I know how crazy English phonetics are and how lovely that Leah is: "LEE-a", or, correctly, "LAY-a".
So beautiful and sweet. Great character in the Bible too.
The Hebrew pronunciation is LAY-ah. It is my name, and I speak Hebrew. When you pronounce it LEE-a, you are using English phonology and applying it to a Hebrew name.
Leah is a sweet name but I prefer the French pronunciation: LAY-a.
Lay-ah is no French pronunciation. The French pronunciation is leh-ah.
Not only do I bear this name but I also know that it has an Irish Gaelic origin that means "The Light of the Sun".

Comments are left by users of this website. They are not checked for accuracy.

Add a Comment