NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Leanna

Feminine form of Leo, meaning "brave as a lion" in Greek.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Leanna is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Leanna popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2411, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 43 births.

This profile covers 694 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 26% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 800 living people in the UK are called Leanna. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Leanna ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2008, when 43 girls were registered as Leanna.
  • Leanna ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #281 in 2020.
  • About 800 living people in the UK are estimated to have Leanna as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2411

2024

Births in 2024

11

Latest year

Peak year

2008

43 births

Estimated living

800

2026

Meaning

What does Leanna mean?

The name Leanna has its origins in the Greek language. It is a combination of two words - "leios" meaning "smooth" or "gentle," and "anna" meaning "grace" or "favor." Together, the name Leanna conveys a sense of gentleness and graciousness.

In ancient Greek texts, the name was often associated with the goddess Artemis, who was revered for her grace, beauty, and skill as a huntress. The earliest recorded use of the name Leanna dates back to the 5th century BC, when it was mentioned in a play by the Greek playwright Aeschylus.

During the Middle Ages, the name Leanna found its way into various European cultures, particularly in Italy and France. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Leanna of Saluzzo, an Italian noblewoman who lived in the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the name gained popularity in England, where it was often spelled as "Liana" or "Leana." One notable bearer of this name was Leanna Donne, the daughter of the famous poet John Donne (1572-1631).

Over the centuries, several other notable individuals have borne the name Leanna. These include Leanna Walcott (1836-1915), an American writer and activist; Leanna Creel (1870-1944), an American actress; and Leanna Love (1913-1986), an American singer and actress.

Another famous bearer of the name was Leanna Tobin (1907-1976), an American painter and sculptor who was a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Additionally, Leanna Rhodes (1920-1995) was a British actress and singer who appeared in several films and television shows during the mid-20th century.

While the name Leanna has ancient roots, it continues to be a popular choice for parents today, owing to its unique blend of grace, gentleness, and strength.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Leanna over time

The chart below shows babies named Leanna registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Leanna, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 43 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Leanna
011223243199620102024

Decades

Leanna by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Leanna was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1859 83 5
2010s #1614 188 10
2000s #945 290 10
1990s #712 133 4

Geography

Where Leanna is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Leanna. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Leanna ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #281 in 2020.

Northern Ireland
5
Scotland
4

Across the UK

Leanna in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#630 in 2023

23 years of NRS records, 89 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#281 in 2020

5 years of NISRA records, 22 total registered

Related

Names similar to Leanna

FAQ

Leanna: questions and answers

How popular is the name Leanna in the UK right now?

In 2024, Leanna was ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.

When was Leanna most popular?

The peak year on record was 2008, with 43 babies registered as Leanna in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Leanna?

Feminine form of Leo, meaning "brave as a lion" in Greek.

How many people are called Leanna in the UK?

A total of 694 babies have been registered as Leanna across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 89 more in Scotland and 22 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Leanna most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Leanna ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #281 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.