Leia
Girl name · #297 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Leia? In official American birth records, Leia has been tracked continuously since 1949, giving it 76 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Leia is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". 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. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Leia is most common in HI (5.6 per 1,000), CA (1.5 per 1,000), CT (1.5 per 1,000), NV (1.4 per 1,000), AZ (1.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.8 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Leia is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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
How old is the name Leia?
In official American birth records, the name Leia first appeared in 1949 (over 76 years ago), when 7 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 76 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.