NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Leena

A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "beautiful".

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.

Leena is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Leena popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #603, with 65 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 68 births.

This profile covers 1,175 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 96% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,210 living people in the UK are called Leena. 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

  • Leena ranked #603 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 65 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 68 girls were registered as Leena.
  • Leena ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #540 in 2023.
  • About 1,210 living people in the UK are estimated to have Leena as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#603

2024

Births in 2024

65

Latest year

Peak year

2021

68 births

Estimated living

1,210

2026

Meaning

What does Leena mean?

The name Leena has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is one of the oldest Indo-Aryan languages. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "lina," which means "absorbed" or "dissolved." This suggests that the name may have been associated with spiritual or philosophical concepts related to the merging or dissolution of the individual self into a higher consciousness or divine essence.

The name Leena has been in use for centuries, particularly in the Indian subcontinent and among communities influenced by Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In ancient Hindu texts, such as the Upanishads and the Puranas, the concept of "lina" is often discussed in the context of spiritual liberation and the union of the individual soul (atman) with the universal consciousness (Brahman).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leena can be found in the Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, which dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this epic, there are references to a character named Leena, who was a wise sage and spiritual teacher.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Leena. One such person was Leena Gade (1966-present), an Indian engineer and racing strategist who made history as the first female race engineer to win the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 2011.

Another famous Leena was Leena Tripathi (1919-2003), an Indian freedom fighter and social activist who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule. She was imprisoned several times for her participation in the struggle for independence.

In the realm of arts and literature, Leena Chandavarkar (1928-2015) was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She was instrumental in popularizing and promoting the Bharatanatyam dance form, both within India and internationally.

Leena Nair (1969-present) is a prominent Indian business executive who made history in 2022 when she became the first female, first Asian, and youngest-ever Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the French luxury brand Chanel.

Leena Dhingra (1970-present) is an Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the Maati Crafts Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Indian handicrafts and empowering artisans.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Leena throughout history, each contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Leena over time

The chart below shows babies named Leena 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 Leena, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 65 births in 2024, compared with 68 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Leena
017345168199620102024

Decades

Leena by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Leena 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 #688 278 5
2010s #928 401 10
2000s #755 397 10
1990s #883 99 4

Geography

Where Leena is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Leena. 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.

Leena ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #540 in 2023.

Scotland
5

Across the UK

Leena in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#540 in 2023

10 years of NRS records, 41 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Leena

  • Leena Gade

    engineer

    British race engineer

    1976-

  • Leena Dhingra

    actor; writer

    British television actress

    1942-

  • Leena Farhat

    politician

    Welsh political candidate

Related

Names similar to Leena

FAQ

Leena: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Leena was ranked #603 for girls in England and Wales, with 65 births registered.

When was Leena most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 68 babies registered as Leena in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Leena?

A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "beautiful".

How many people are called Leena in the UK?

A total of 1,175 babies have been registered as Leena across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 41 more in Scotland.

Where is Leena most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Leena ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #540 in 2023. 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.