UK girl's name
Leisha
A feminine name of Aboriginal Australian origin meaning "pretty woman".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Leisha is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Leisha popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5666, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 14 births.
This profile covers 149 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 1996 to 2018. 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 21% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 155 living people in the UK are called Leisha. 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 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Leisha ranked #5666 for girls in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 14 girls were registered as Leisha.
- • Leisha ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #665 in 2012.
- • About 155 living people in the UK are estimated to have Leisha as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5666
2018
Births in 2018
3
Latest year
Peak year
2002
14 births
Estimated living
155
2026
Meaning
What does Leisha mean?
The name Leisha is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, where it is a variation of the more common name Layla or Laila. The name Layla itself is derived from the Arabic word "lail," which means "night." This name has been in use since ancient times in the Middle East and North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Leisha can be found in medieval Arabic literature, where it appears as a character in several romantic poems and stories. The name gained popularity during the Islamic Golden Age, particularly in regions like Persia and Andalusia, where Arabic culture and language had a significant influence.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Leisha ibn al-Amin was a renowned scholar and philosopher from Cordoba, Spain. She made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy during the height of the Andalusian Renaissance.
Another historical figure with the name Leisha was Leisha al-Baghdadi, a renowned poet and calligrapher who lived in Baghdad during the 13th century. Her works were widely celebrated and influential in the literary circles of the time.
In the 16th century, Leisha bint Abdallah was a prominent scholar and teacher in the Ottoman Empire. She was known for her expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and her efforts in promoting women's education.
During the 19th century, Leisha al-Misri was an Egyptian feminist and activist who campaigned for women's rights and educational reform. She established one of the first schools for girls in Cairo and played a crucial role in shaping the women's movement in Egypt.
While the name Leisha has its roots in Arabic culture, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and languages over time. Its variations, such as Leisa, Laysha, or Leesha, can be found in different parts of the world, each with its own unique cultural context and meaning.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Leisha over time
The chart below shows babies named Leisha registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Leisha, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2018, compared with 14 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Leisha by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Leisha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4198 | 45 | 8 |
| 2000s | #2694 | 75 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2389 | 29 | 4 |
Geography
Where Leisha is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Leisha. 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.
Leisha ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #665 in 2012.
Across the UK
Leisha in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#665 in 2012
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Related
Names similar to Leisha
- 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
Leisha: questions and answers
How popular is the name Leisha in the UK right now?
In 2018, Leisha was ranked #5666 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Leisha most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 14 babies registered as Leisha in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Leisha?
A feminine name of Aboriginal Australian origin meaning "pretty woman".
How many people are called Leisha in the UK?
A total of 149 babies have been registered as Leisha across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland.
Where is Leisha most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Leisha ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #665 in 2012. 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.