Total births
1,438
Girls' name · since 1963
Leiah
1,438 babies named Leiah in U.S. Social Security records since 1963, with the highest year being 2012. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3538
- among girls today
- 1,438
- born since 1963
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other girls
1,438 babies have been named Leiah since 1963, making it today's #3538 girls' name.
Leiah has 1,438 recorded births among girls since 1963, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3538 as of the latest data, more common than 80% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1963 to 2025.
- #3538 among girls today
- 1,438 born since 1963
- 2010s peak decade
- 80% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Leiah is currently the #3538 girls' name in America, more common than 80% of girls - 1,438 born since 1963, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3538
- among girls today
- 1,438
- born since 1963
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other girls
Leiah vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3538
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 80% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Leiah was born in this single decade.
2012
Single peak year
78 babies were named Leiah in 2012 - its busiest year on record.
How Leiah compares
1,438 Top 26% higher than 74% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Leiah's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Leiah | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,438 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 78 | 48 | 19,840 |
Leiah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Leiah splits its recorded history at 1998: 83% of all births land in the more recent half, 17% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1963 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2012 peak of 78 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Leiah at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2012
Current rank
#3,538
Active since
1963
Leiah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1963–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 78
- Annual births at peak, across 63 years of records
Leiah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Leiah's strongest decade.
590 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Leiah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 10
1960s
10 births
- 1970s 38
1970s
38 births
- 1980s 105
1980s
105 births
- 1990s 114
1990s
114 births
- 2000s
2000s
325 births
- 2010s
2010s
590 births
- 2020s
2020s
256 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 590 births (41% of all-time use).
How Leiah compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Leiah's total volume
Leiah vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Leiah by state
Where Leiah concentrates geographically, total births since 1963
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 203 | 14.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 106 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Florida | | 48 | 3.3% |
| #4 | New York | | 34 | 2.4% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 10 | 0.7% |
California share of Leiah's total US births 14.1%
Even split
203 of 1,438 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Leiah? ▼
1,438 babies have been named Leiah since 1963. It currently ranks #3538 among girls. The peak year was 2012 with 78 births.
When was Leiah most popular? ▼
Leiah was most popular in the 2010s decade with 590 total births. The single peak year was 2012.
Where is Leiah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Leiah are California (203 births), Texas (106 births), Florida (48 births).
How long has the name Leiah been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Leiah since 1963 -- 63 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Leiah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Leilani, Leila, Leigh, Leia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Leiah's data
- Leiah's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (590 total births) through the 2020s (256) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Leiahs (203 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Leiah
Nearby Names Like Leiah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Leiah
Leilani Girl
#66 56,466 births
Leila Girl
#267 55,436 births
Leigh Girl
#3405 40,242 births
Leia Girl
#289 18,778 births
Leighton Girl
#397 12,412 births
Compare Leiah side by side: Leiah vs Leilani Leiah vs Leila Leiah vs Leigh
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Leiah
Basya #3537
1,052 births · Peak 2024
Jamilah #3539
2,656 births · Peak 1977
Larkin #3536
2,019 births · Peak 2006
Kamara #3540
2,066 births · Peak 2007
Maleia #3535
1,187 births · Peak 2023
Giulietta #3541
727 births · Peak 2016
Lark #3534
1,862 births · Peak 1950
Tziporah #3542
1,102 births · Peak 2021
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1963–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Leiah: #3538 Girls' Name - 1,438 Births, Peak 2012." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/leiah. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Leiah draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.