Leia Name Meaning

The name Leia means “weary” and has a rich history. It has been a popular name for girls for decades. From Star Wars royalty to literary heroines, Leia has been inspiring young women for years.

Origins of the Name Leia

Leia is of Hebrew origin, and it means “weary.” The name was first used in the Bible, in the book of Isaiah, as a name for one of the characters. However, it wasn’t until the release of Star Wars in 1977 that the name really took off in popularity.

Popularity of the Name Leia

When the first Star Wars movie was released in 1977, the character of Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher, captured the hearts of audiences around the world. She was a strong, independent woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she believed in. The character’s popularity helped to make the name Leia a popular choice for baby girls.

Leia’s popularity as a name for girls has fluctuated over the years. According to the Social Security Administration, the name reached its peak of popularity in the 1980s, shortly after the release of the first Star Wars movie. However, it has continued to be a popular choice for baby girls, even though it has never again reached the same level of popularity.

Final Thoughts on the Name Leia

The name Leia has a rich history and meaning, and has been a popular name for girls for decades. From Star Wars royalty to literary heroines, Leia has been inspiring young women for years. The name’s popularity may have fluctuated over time, but the strong, independent spirit of the character Princess Leia has made a lasting impact on the world and on the popularity of the name. So, if you are considering naming your daughter Leia, know that you are not just giving her a name, you are giving her a legacy of strength, independence, and inspiration.

Infographic of Leia name meaning, which is A variant of Leah, Leia is Hebrew name meaning weary one.
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Leia Name Popularity

How popular is the name Leia? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 — 0 0%
1911 — 0 0%
1912 — 0 0%
1913 — 0 0%
1914 — 0 0%
1915 — 0 0%
1916 — 0 0%
1917 — 0 0%
1918 — 0 0%
1919 — 0 0%
1920 — 0 0%
1921 — 0 0%
1922 — 0 0%
1923 — 0 0%
1924 — 0 0%
1925 — 0 0%
1926 — 0 0%
1927 — 0 0%
1928 — 0 0%
1929 — 0 0%
1930 — 0 0%
1931 — 0 0%
1932 — 0 0%
1933 — 0 0%
1934 — 0 0%
1935 — 0 0%
1936 — 0 0%
1937 — 0 0%
1938 — 0 0%
1939 — 0 0%
1940 — 0 0%
1941 — 0 0%
1942 — 0 0%
1943 — 0 0%
1944 — 0 0%
1945 — 0 0%
1946 — 0 0%
1947 — 0 0%
1948 — 0 0%
1949 — 0 0%
1950 — 0 0%
1951 — 0 0%
1952 — 0 0%
1953 — 0 0%
1954 — 0 0%
1955 — 0 0%
1956 — 0 0%
1957 — 0 0%
1958 — 0 0%
1959 — 0 0%
1960 — 0 0%
1961 — 0 0%
1962 — 0 0%
1963 — 6 0.0003%
1964 — 0 0%
1965 — 5 0.0003%
1966 — 0 0%
1967 — 6 0.0004%
1968 — 0 0%
1969 — 0 0%
1970 — 0 0%
1971 — 0 0%
1972 — 0 0%
1973 — 0 0%
1974 — 0 0%
1975 — 0 0%
1976 — 6 0.0005%
1977 — 34 0.0025%
1978 — 73 0.0054%
1979 — 60 0.0043%
1980 — 99 0.0068%
1981 — 71 0.0048%
1982 — 39 0.0026%
1983 — 73 0.0049%
1984 — 35 0.0024%
1985 — 23 0.0015%
1986 — 24 0.0016%
1987 — 30 0.002%
1988 — 21 0.0013%
1989 — 18 0.0011%
1990 — 24 0.0014%
1991 — 19 0.0012%
1992 — 21 0.0013%
1993 — 26 0.0017%
1994 — 0 0%
1995 — 36 0.0024%
1996 — 19 0.0013%
1997 — 46 0.0031%
1998 — 43 0.0029%
1999 — 60 0.004%
2000 — 62 0.0041%
2001 — 77 0.0051%
2002 — 91 0.0061%
2003 — 74 0.0049%
2004 — 90 0.0059%
2005 — 158 0.0103%
2006 — 215 0.0137%
2007 — 230 0.0146%
2008 — 243 0.0157%
2009 — 282 0.0189%
2010 — 280 0.0194%
2011 — 299 0.021%
2012 — 362 0.0254%
2013 — 470 0.033%
2014 — 551 0.0378%
2015 — 725 0.0498%
2016 — 977 0.0678%
2017 — 1,127 0.0807%
2018 — 1,087 0.0791%
2019 — 919 0.0679%
2020 — 1,044 0.082%
2021 — 965 0.0789%
2022 — 1,174 0.089%
2023 — 1,405 0.1086%

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Connecticut (CT)

District of Columbia (DC)

Delaware (DE)

Florida (FL)

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Hawaii (HI)

Iowa (IA)

Idaho (ID)

Illinois (IL)

Indiana (IN)

Kansas (KS)

Kentucky (KY)

Louisiana (LA)

Massachusetts (MA)

Maryland (MD)

Michigan (MI)

Minnesota (MN)

Missouri (MO)

Mississippi (MS)

Montana (MT)

North Carolina (NC)

North Dakota (ND)

Nebraska (NE)

New Hampshire (NH)

New Jersey (NJ)

New Mexico (NM)

Nevada (NV)

New York (NY)

Ohio (OH)

Oklahoma (OK)

Oregon (OR)

Pennsylvania (PA)

South Carolina (SC)

Tennessee (TN)

Texas (TX)

Utah (UT)

Virginia (VA)

Washington (WA)

Wisconsin (WI)

West Virginia (WV)

Data via SSA.gov.


Names Like Leia

If you like Leia, you’ll love these other names like Leia.


What names sound like Leia?

If you like how Leia sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Leia.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Lea

Delicate; weary; meadow or pasture

Hebrew

Leya

The law

Spanish

Lia

Weary one

Hebrew


What names are similar to Leia?

Find a name that’s like Leia, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Lecia

Latin

Leda

Woman

Greek

Leida

Loved by the people

Slavic

Leila

Night

Arabic

Leina

Palm tree

Latin

Leisa

God's promise; God is my oath

Hebrew

Lela

Black beauty

African

Lelia

“The tempestuous one,” from the Greek lailao, a tempest, hurricane, etc.

Latin

Lena

Woman from Magdala

Hebrew

Lesia

Noble, exalted; from Lycia

Latin

Leta

Gladly

Latin


Lists With Leia

Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Leia.


Siblings of Leia

Mamas with kids named Leia also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Luke

From Lucania

Greek

7 Comments

  1. My name is Leia. I was born in November 1970 yet databases say there are 0 registered births with the name Leia in 1970 or 1971. I get that I am GenX and we are often forgotten but it is my name! I think of myself as an OG Leia. I tell people my name is Leia, like the princess but I came first.

    Leia born November 1970

  2. Husband is a Star Wars fan and the name Leia grew on me.??????

  3. Our friends were calling out names and when Leia was said, my husband’s eyes got big! He immediately looked at me and I said I like it! He loves that name because he is a big Star Wars fan! So our baby will always be our Princess Leia!

  4. We had twins…we love Star Wars… stand alone the names are great
    Leia is Hawaiian for heavenly flower, I (mama) was named after my heavenly maternal grandmother “Rose” Leia Rose was perfect for us.
    This snoozey beauty brings us great joy!

  5. My husband and I really wanted a short name for her as well and no middle name. We both don’t have middle names and we love it.

  6. I found this on Google and am upset about the pronunciation of the name. The name is pronounced the same as Leah and not as Lay-ah. Lee-ah is the grammatically correct way of pronouncing the name due to how the vows and consonants line up. If you’re using the pronunciation from from “Star Wars” please don’t!!! They incorrectly started to pronounce the name after they correctly pronounced it in the first movie.

  7. We found out her gender, I was looking at onesies on Amazon and came across a Darth Vader and Leia onesie. My boyfriend already has a son named Luke, so we went with Leia.


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