View Message

[Opinions] Leah
What do you think of the name Leah? I used to be a big fan, but then it started to strike me as boring. I also really dislike the Lay-uh pronunciation. I was really surprised to see that it's ranked #37 in the US. I never hear it!
______________________________________________________________________

Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

Both DH and I like Leah. Still, when it comes right down to it, I'm not sure I'd ever use it; it doesn't wow me. Despite everything, you can't really go wrong here. Leah is lovely.Re: the LAY-uh pronunciation, I know a couple with nine children who all have biblical names. Leah Rose is one of the older children and the couple went to the trouble of confirming the biblical pronunciation and using it since it was most correct. The problem is that when her name is said, it sounds weird (lay a rose). Strangely enough, when the couple named another dd further down the line, they went with Ariel May which I thought was strange because not only did they use the male spelling, they pronounce it as aerial, not as ar-ee-ELLE. I just thought it was odd that they went to a lot of trouble to get the spelling and pronunciation right with one child and didn't really care that much with the other child, lol.
vote up1
Never liked it. I have a cousin with this name and she's an interesting character, so that might have something to do with it! I've just never liked the sound or look of it to be honest.
vote up1
I'm not a big fan, but I don't dislike it either. It's just kind of "there" for me, although the connection with Leah, wife of Jacob (from the Torah) is good in my opinion. A good name is often one that doesn't leave strong impressions; it gives room for the person bearing it to make their mark.
vote up1
Leah is not a favorite for me. More of a middle name to me, not as exciting.
vote up1
My little sisters name. I like it a lot, it sounds sweet (even though my sister is not).
vote up1
I really like Leela.I like it but it is too comm0n.
vote up1
It drives me nuts now. I used to not mind it, but theres who Leah's in the same year at school, one is pronounced Lee-uh and the other is Lee
vote up1
It is pretty but also too anemic and timid for my list.
vote up1
I love Leah. It's easily a name that I'd use, but my husband doesn't like it. I hear it fairly often.I dislike the lay-uh pronunciation as well, however, I've never heard it offline.
vote up1
It's okay. It's grown on me.
vote up1
I love Leah! I see Leah as a little girl with brown hair, brown eyes, and a bright personality.
vote up1
It's my favorite girl name. I never hear it, either.I don't think it's boring, but I tend to like simple names. I'm not one for frills. The cool thing about this name is that a girl and a woman can "wear" it just fine. It ages well, it's never *quite* dated, and it has a nifty Bible history, if that matters to people. I love it.
vote up1
I had a friend whose daughter was named Leigha. I was surprised/disappointed when I found out the spelling; I had assumed it was Leah. I said, "Oh I didn't realize her name is spelled that way", and my friend made a comment to the effect of "Yeah, I was young and trying to be fancy and original". I don't remember her exact words, but that was the gist of it.It's okay. There are a lot worse names out there.
vote up1
It mostly just sounds like Lee / Leigh with an A tacked on, to me: I went to high school with an annoying (spoiled, oblivious, whiny) girl named Leigh, plus Lee seems generic Southern, so I dislike it partially because of how similar it is to those.I don't think the biblical Leah or the meaning does the name any favors, either.But, it's an okay name in that it doesn't sound "ugly", and it blends in with the crowd without being super popular.
vote up1
I went to school with a few Leah's (late 80's early 90's kids) so it feels a little dated to me, and unfortunately one of my stronger personal associations is of a girl who was pretty boring (not very bright, attractive, or interesting). But otherwise I kinda like it! A woman I worked with had a baby girl about a year ago and named her Leah and her pictures are all so cute so that's helping the name for me. I'm also surprised it's ranked so high though.
vote up1
I can see the appeal but I'm not a huge fan... it's sort of weak. It needs something else - Lena is better. I do however think of it within a sort of trifecta of Sarah, Hannah and Leah - and Leah might win that because its less overused. I had a friend when I was in school named Leah, and another who spelled it Leeah, and I've never known any others, as far as I can remember.
vote up1
I also think of it with Sarah and Hannah. If Sarah and Hannah are going to have a sister, it's going to be Leah, Rachel, or Rebecca.
vote up1
or Emily ...I have known two different families in my lifetime, two very different places, and they each had three daughters named Emily, Sarah and Rachel.
And I know two families with two sons each named Logan and Brody.
vote up1
I also know a sibset of Sarah, Rachel and Emily (and Matthew), and another one of Sarah, Rachel and Bethany.

This message was edited 10/17/2017, 10:38 AM

vote up1
I don't know anybody who pronounces it Lay-uh; I only ever hear Lee-uh.
It's an okay name. It's a bit weak and insubstantial-sounding, just two very small sounds. But there's nothing really wrong with it.
vote up1
Hi Martha !!!I strongly dislike Leah mostly because of its spelling.
I dislike the h at the ending of a name.As I said to Mireio Leah in my mind is an urban teenager with a heavy, black makeup. I can see her doing skateboarding, using roller skates or dancing hip-hop.
These sports have never had an appeal to me.Its Italian variant Lia is even worse.
It is so short that seems a nickname and it is just boring.I think that Lea is better.But my favourite variant of it is Lèale (the Yiddish variant). This is because I have sweet, literariant ties with this name. The two fictional Lèale are sweet, maternal women but really proud.
vote up1
It's pretty. I find it boring. I'm surprised by how high it's ranked too. I know 3 Leahs but one is in her 50s, 1 in her 20s and 1 is a teenager.
vote up1
It feels a bit 90s to me. I don't mind it though. For some reason I imagine a Leah to be a teenage goth with a lot of black eye makeup. Not sure where that association comes from!
vote up1
Hi Mireio !!!It is so strange...but I have the same association about Leah!
vote up1
That's funny! I wonder where the association comes from! :)
vote up1