Leia
Girl name · #297 in 2025 · Uniqueness 52/100
Leia ranks #297 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 1,033 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #420, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,742 girls born in 2025 was named Leia.
Babies named Leia per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 76-year story
Leia first appears in the Social Security records in 1949, when 7 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 1,424 babies and a rank of #211. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Leia against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Leia in class?
Leia scores 52 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Leia is most common
Geography matters for names, and Leia is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Leias were CA (242), TX (104), FL (88), NY (54), NC (34). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Leia
Statistically, parents drawn to Leia tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lia, Gia, Kaia, Lyra, and Aleia.
LiaGiaKaiaLyraAleiaLucianaMiraDahlia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Leia | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,033 | #297 |
| 2024 | 1,099 | #289 |
| 2023 | 1,424 | #211 |
| 2022 | 1,216 | #256 |
| 2021 | 1,078 | #295 |
| 2020 | 1,088 | #296 |
| 2019 | 958 | #334 |
| 2018 | 1,120 | #296 |
| 2017 | 1,162 | #278 |
| 2016 | 1,016 | #322 |
| 2015 | 766 | #420 |
| 2014 | 611 | #509 |
| 2013 | 509 | #569 |
| 2012 | 422 | #670 |
| 2011 | 351 | #774 |
| 2010 | 323 | #832 |
| 2009 | 342 | #824 |
| 2008 | 293 | #930 |
| 2007 | 288 | #937 |
| 2006 | 272 | #961 |
| 2005 | 206 | #1134 |
| 2004 | 160 | #1329 |
| 2003 | 142 | #1395 |
| 2002 | 152 | #1288 |
| 2001 | 125 | #1499 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Leia a popular girl name?
Leia ranked #297 among girls in 2025 with 1,033 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #420.
When was the name Leia most popular?
Leia peaked in 2023, when 1,424 American girls received the name (ranked #211 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Leia?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,742 newborn American girls was named Leia. It scores 52/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.