UK girl's name
Leia
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "the sublime one".
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.
Leia is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Leia popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #377, with 114 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 168 births.
This profile covers 2,568 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 68% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 2,968 living people in the UK are called Leia. 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
- • Leia ranked #377 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 114 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 168 girls were registered as Leia.
- • Leia ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #264 in 2023.
- • About 2,968 living people in the UK are estimated to have Leia as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#377
2024
Births in 2024
114
Latest year
Peak year
2022
168 births
Estimated living
2,968
2026
Meaning
What does Leia mean?
The name Leia originates from the ancient Greek language and has its roots in the word "leios", which means "smooth" or "flat". It was likely used as a descriptive name referring to a person's smooth or calm demeanor. The name first appeared in ancient Greek literature and texts dating back to the 5th century BC.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Leia was Leia of Athens, a Greek playwright who lived in the 5th century BC. Her works, unfortunately, have been lost to time, but she is mentioned in the writings of ancient Greek scholars and historians.
In Roman mythology, Leia was the name of a minor goddess associated with childbirth and fertility. She was often invoked by expectant mothers seeking a safe and smooth delivery.
During the Byzantine Empire, the name Leia was relatively common among the Greek population. One notable figure was Leia Komnene, a princess and author who lived in the 12th century (1105-1151). She wrote several historical works and was known for her intelligence and literary talents.
In the 16th century, Leia Mencía was a Spanish painter and one of the few female artists of the Renaissance period. She was known for her portraits and religious works, which were highly regarded during her lifetime (1501-1568).
Another notable figure was Leia Stephanopoulos, a Greek linguist and scholar who lived in the 17th century (1630-1693). She was a pioneer in the study of Greek dialects and contributed greatly to the preservation of the Greek language and culture.
One of the more recent historical figures with the name Leia was Leia Aristarhova, a Russian revolutionary and activist who fought for women's rights and socialism in the early 20th century (1884-1942).
While the name Leia has ancient roots and has been used throughout history, it gained widespread popularity in modern times after the release of the Star Wars films, where Princess Leia Organa, played by Carrie Fisher, became an iconic character.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Leia over time
The chart below shows babies named Leia 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 Leia, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 114 births in 2024, compared with 168 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Leia by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Leia 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 | #350 | 645 | 5 |
| 2010s | #464 | 999 | 10 |
| 2000s | #512 | 673 | 10 |
| 1990s | #482 | 251 | 4 |
Geography
Where Leia is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Leia. 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.
Leia ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #264 in 2023.
Across the UK
Leia in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#315 in 2024
30 years of NRS records, 349 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#264 in 2023
15 years of NISRA records, 66 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Leia
-
Leia Zhu
violinist
British-Chinese violinist (born 2006)
2006-
-
Leia Edwards
basketball player
British basketball player (born 2006)
2006-
-
Leia Brebner-Holden
rugby union player
English-Scottish rugby union player
2002-
Related
Names similar to Leia
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Lauren 50,664
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
FAQ
Leia: questions and answers
How popular is the name Leia in the UK right now?
In 2024, Leia was ranked #377 for girls in England and Wales, with 114 births registered.
When was Leia most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 168 babies registered as Leia in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Leia?
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "the sublime one".
How many people are called Leia in the UK?
A total of 2,568 babies have been registered as Leia across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 349 more in Scotland and 66 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Leia most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Leia ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #264 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.