Lea
Lea is a feminine given name. In French, the name Léa is from the biblical name Leah. In Spanish, the same name is Lía, and in Italian, Lia. In English, it is a name for the word 'lea', pronounced [liː], meaning pasture or meadow.
- Hebrew
- German
- Dutch
- Swedish
Meaning & Origin of Lea
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Lea is a feminine given name. In French, the name Léa is from the biblical name Leah. In Spanish, the same name is Lía, and in Italian, Lia. In English, it is a name for the word 'lea', pronounced [liː], meaning pasture or meadow.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hebrew
- German
- Dutch
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Finnish
- Estonian
- Slovene
- Croatian
- Czech
- Slovak
- Hungarian
- Italian
- Spanish
- Biblical Hebrew
- French
The Story of Lea
Lea first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 7 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1970: 593 births, good for #396 nationwide. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #843 among baby girl names with 323 births, gradually falling (-10%). In total, more than 34K Leas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Lea
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Lea. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Lea
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lea is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lea
What does the name Lea mean?
What is the origin of the name Lea?
How popular is Lea in 2026?
When was Lea most popular?
In which U.S. states is Lea most popular?
Is Lea a unisex name?
What names go well with Lea?
What are nicknames or variants of Lea?
About the name Lea
Lea is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 34K births in the dataset. Lea's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #396. Use the chart and map above to compare Lea's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.