Lea
Girl name · #848 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 321 baby girls were named Lea, placing it at #848 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #739, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,607 girls born in 2025 was named Lea.
The 145-year story
Lea first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1970, when 593 girls were named Lea — good for #396 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Lea per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Lea against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lea in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lea is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Lea will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Lea is most common
Geography matters for names, and Lea is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Lea is most common in NY (0.5 per 1,000), NJ (0.4 per 1,000), IL (0.4 per 1,000), CA (0.3 per 1,000), PA (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Lea is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Lea
Statistically, parents drawn to Lea tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lara, Greta, Karla, Liza, and Liz.
LaraGretaKarlaLizaLizMyraLeannaLani
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lea | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 321 | #848 |
| 2024 | 327 | #833 |
| 2023 | 349 | #803 |
| 2022 | 362 | #784 |
| 2021 | 378 | #752 |
| 2020 | 363 | #749 |
| 2019 | 389 | #726 |
| 2018 | 410 | #709 |
| 2017 | 337 | #810 |
| 2016 | 422 | #690 |
| 2015 | 382 | #739 |
| 2014 | 416 | #681 |
| 2013 | 473 | #599 |
| 2012 | 470 | #609 |
| 2011 | 528 | #556 |
| 2010 | 514 | #569 |
| 2009 | 431 | #675 |
| 2008 | 479 | #643 |
| 2007 | 432 | #680 |
| 2006 | 481 | #607 |
| 2005 | 473 | #601 |
| 2004 | 446 | #616 |
| 2003 | 396 | #668 |
| 2002 | 382 | #665 |
| 2001 | 363 | #685 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Lea a popular girl name?
Lea ranked #848 among girls in 2025 with 321 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #739.
When was the name Lea most popular?
Lea peaked in 1970, when 593 American girls received the name (ranked #396 that year). Since 1970 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Lea?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,607 newborn American girls was named Lea. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.