NameCensus.

UK surname

Leah

A biblical name derived from the Hebrew word meaning "weary" or "tired".

In the 1881 census there were 1,073 people recorded with the Leah surname, ranking it #3,691 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,223, ranked #4,867, down from #3,691 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Stockport and Wilmslow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Calderdale and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leah is 1,594 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.0%.

1881 census count

1,073

Ranked #3,691

Modern count

1,223

2016, ranked #4,867

Peak year

1911

1,594 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leah had 1,073 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,691 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,223 in 2016, ranked #4,867.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,594 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Leah surname distribution map

The map shows where the Leah surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Leah surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leah over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 670 #3,877
1861 historical 732 #3,724
1881 historical 1,073 #3,691
1891 historical 1,264 #3,419
1901 historical 1,374 #3,660
1911 historical 1,594 #3,049
1997 modern 1,216 #4,660
1998 modern 1,251 #4,715
1999 modern 1,259 #4,730
2000 modern 1,225 #4,808
2001 modern 1,192 #4,821
2002 modern 1,223 #4,824
2003 modern 1,178 #4,879
2004 modern 1,181 #4,876
2005 modern 1,147 #4,957
2006 modern 1,153 #4,924
2007 modern 1,161 #4,944
2008 modern 1,162 #4,958
2009 modern 1,184 #4,989
2010 modern 1,206 #5,020
2011 modern 1,205 #4,950
2012 modern 1,207 #4,889
2013 modern 1,205 #4,963
2014 modern 1,198 #5,027
2015 modern 1,197 #4,982
2016 modern 1,223 #4,867

Geography

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Where Leahs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Stockport, Wilmslow, Manchester and Cheadle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tameside, Calderdale and Shropshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Wilmslow Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Cheadle Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tameside 028 Tameside
2 Tameside 030 Tameside
3 Calderdale 007 Calderdale
4 Shropshire 018 Shropshire
5 Tameside 027 Tameside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leah

These lists show first names that appear often with the Leah surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leah

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Leah, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Leah surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Leah household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Leah is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Leah is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Leah falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Leah is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Leah, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Leah

The surname "LEAH" is of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical name "Leah" which means "weary" or "tired." The name is believed to have originated in ancient Israel during biblical times.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "LEAH" can be traced back to the 12th century in various Jewish communities across Europe. It was commonly used as a patronymic name, indicating descent from a person named Leah.

In medieval England, the surname "LEAH" appeared in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195. This suggests that Jewish families bearing this surname were present in England during the Middle Ages.

One notable historical figure with the surname "LEAH" was Rabbi Judah Leah (1525-1609), a prominent Kabbalist and Hebrew scholar who lived in Safed, Ottoman Palestine.

Another individual of note was Judah Leah ben Bezalel (1518-1609), a Jewish philosopher and mathematician from Prague, Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic).

In the 17th century, the surname "LEAH" was found among Jewish communities in various parts of Europe, including Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands. For example, Abraham Leah (1620-1690) was a Dutch Rabbi and scholar born in Amsterdam.

The surname "LEAH" was also present in Italy during the Renaissance period. One notable figure was David Leah (1590-1670), a Jewish scholar and physician from Mantua, Italy.

In the 18th century, the surname "LEAH" appeared in various records from Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland and Ukraine. One example is Mordechai Leah (1730-1810), a renowned Talmudic scholar and Rabbi from Lemberg (now Lviv, Ukraine).

Throughout history, the surname "LEAH" has been associated with several prominent Jewish families, scholars, and rabbis, reflecting its deep roots in the Jewish tradition and biblical heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leah families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leah surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cheshire leads with 346 Leahs recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.14x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 346 15.14x
Lancashire 285 2.32x
Yorkshire 110 1.07x
Derbyshire 61 3.76x
Shropshire 37 4.14x
Cornwall 33 2.82x
Middlesex 33 0.32x
Staffordshire 19 0.54x
Warwickshire 14 0.54x
Suffolk 13 1.03x
Surrey 13 0.26x
Durham 12 0.39x
Essex 11 0.54x
Herefordshire 10 2.36x
Hertfordshire 10 1.40x
Devon 7 0.32x
Wiltshire 7 0.76x
Rutland 6 7.90x
Glamorgan 5 0.28x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.61x
Worcestershire 4 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.22x
Sutherland 3 3.77x
Hampshire 2 0.09x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.97x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.84x
Angus 1 0.10x
Berkshire 1 0.13x
Cumberland 1 0.11x
Inverness-shire 1 0.32x
Kent 1 0.03x
Northumberland 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.30x
Royal Navy 1 0.81x
Sussex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stockport in Cheshire leads with 50 Leahs recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.53x.

Place Total Index
Stockport 50 42.53x
Cheadle 48 109.99x
Manchester 42 7.60x
Macclesfield 40 39.39x
Shirland 37 305.28x
Ardwick 23 20.76x
Hulme 23 8.97x
Openshaw 23 39.99x
Lymm 21 126.43x
Bollin Fee 20 197.43x
Bosden 19 271.04x
Denton 19 69.80x
Bramhall 18 190.27x
Hyde 18 26.70x
Tintwistle 18 147.42x
Bradford 16 6.44x
Salford 16 4.43x
Dukinfield 15 14.21x
Shrewsbury St Chad 15 47.80x
Aston 13 1.81x
Castleton 13 10.60x
Sowerby In Halifax 13 38.76x
Oldham 12 3.03x
Hunslet 11 6.88x
Langfield 11 61.32x
Leeds 11 1.90x
Mile End Old Town London 11 4.99x
Sheffield 11 3.37x
West Ham 11 2.44x
Gulval 10 132.63x
Heaton Norris 10 14.31x
Paul 10 46.97x
Stansfield 10 26.50x
Sutton In Macclesfield 10 42.18x
Tring 10 52.49x
Bradford 9 15.65x
Killamarsh 9 89.29x
St Buryan 9 185.95x
Beccles 8 39.43x
Chorley In Macclesfield 8 114.94x
Erringden 8 120.66x
Sproston 8 1600.00x
Tonge 8 31.04x
Toxteth Park 8 1.92x
Aspull 7 24.23x
Bredbury 7 52.95x
Didsbury 7 42.92x
Dinnington 7 760.87x
East Stonehouse 7 16.49x
Eckington 7 17.78x
Liverpool 7 0.94x
Lonbridge Deverill 7 218.07x
Meole Brace 7 151.19x
Thelwall 7 397.73x
Chester St John Baptist 6 14.61x
Chorlton On Medlock 6 3.08x
Croydon 6 2.14x
Grappenhall 6 215.05x
Newton 6 6.34x
Shrewsbury St Mary 6 17.01x
Southwick 6 20.58x
Uppingham 6 66.23x
Walsall Foreign 6 3.32x
West Derby 6 1.67x
Barton Upon Irwell 5 5.41x
Handsworth 5 5.81x
Hoole 5 57.87x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 5 42.74x
Blackburn 4 1.22x
Brinnington 4 18.74x
Clerkenwell London 4 1.64x
Stoke Edith 4 400.00x
Werneth 4 55.87x
Beswick 3 9.55x
Butterworth 3 10.03x
Byford 3 394.74x
Melbourne 3 27.10x
Rogart 3 68.34x
Wardleworth 3 4.27x
Westoe 3 1.72x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Leah surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 97
Sarah 50
Elizabeth 44
Ann 24
Emma 22
Hannah 22
Jane 22
Martha 18
Eliza 17
Annie 16
Ellen 16
Harriet 11
Margaret 11
Alice 9
Ada 7
Louisa 7
Lucy 7
Emily 6
Florence 6
Rebecca 6
Catherine 5
Maria 5
Charlotte 4
Edith 4
Elizth. 4
Matilda 4
Caroline 3
Clara 3
Frances 3
Julia 3
Minnie 3
Ruth 3
Susannah 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Bertha 2
Betty 2
Ethel 2
Katharine 2
Lillian 2
Maggie 2
Nelly 2
Olive 2
Selina 2
Elizbth. 1
Elizibth. 1
Hilda 1
Ida 1
Violet 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Leah surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 61
John 52
Thomas 47
James 34
Joseph 25
Henry 24
George 22
Charles 18
Samuel 18
Alfred 14
Richard 12
Robert 12
Harry 11
Edward 10
Albert 9
Francis 8
Frederick 7
Arthur 5
Ernest 5
Isaac 5
Walter 5
Benjamin 4
Herbert 4
Martin 4
Tom 4
Andrew 3
Christopher 3
Fred 3
Levi 3
Louis 3
David 2
Edwin 2
Eli 2
Esther 2
Frank 2
Hugh 2
Humphrey 2
Jesse 2
Jonathan 2
Mark 2
Oswald 2
Percy 2
Ralph 2
Sidney 2
Benj. 1
Edgar 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
G. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Leah surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leah surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,073 people were recorded with the Leah surname. That placed it at #3,691 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leah surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,223 in 2016. That gives Leah a modern rank of #4,867.

What does the Leah surname mean?

A biblical name derived from the Hebrew word meaning "weary" or "tired".

What does the Leah map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Leah bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.