Leah
/L-IY-AH/
Weary, wild cow, the matriarch whose unloved eyes saw more clearly than beauty ever could — Leah is the first wife of Jacob in Genesis, the older sister given in place of the younger Rachel. Though described as having weak eyes, she bore six of the twelve tribes of Israel. Her name carries the quiet triumph of the overlooked, the endurance of a woman whose worth was proven not by her face but by her extraordinary fruitfulness
See Leah scored for your familyMeaning & origin
Leah is a girl's name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Jewish families. The name means "Weary, wild cow, the matriarch whose unloved eyes saw more clearly than beauty ever could — Leah is the first wife of Jacob in Genesis, the older sister given in place of the younger Rachel. Though described as having weak eyes, she bore six of the twelve tribes of Israel. Her name carries the quiet triumph of the overlooked, the endurance of a woman whose worth was proven not by her face but by her extraordinary fruitfulness" and belongs to the Courage cluster — names for children who will grow into bold, fearless hearts.
Beyond its Jewish heritage, Leah is also used in Christian traditions, reflecting how this name has traveled across cultures.
Common among American, European, MiddleEastern, Israeli families, Leah carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
Numerology of Leah
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Leah resonates in either tradition.
How Leah sounds
NameRoot scores the phonetic fit of every name against the sound of your last name. The pronunciation of Leah breaks down into 3 phonemes: /L-IY-AH/. In the app, you'll see how those sounds flow with your family name across rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters.
The six signals, applied to Leah
NameRoot scores every name across six independent dimensions. Here's how Leah maps to each — install the app to see the full compatibility score for your specific family.
Names similar to Leah
If Leah resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Jewish girl names, common in American families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Jewish girl names from the Courage cluster
Names that sound similar
Jewish girl names that open with the same syllables as Leah
Common questions about Leah
What does the name Leah mean?
Leah means "Weary, wild cow, the matriarch whose unloved eyes saw more clearly than beauty ever could — Leah is the first wife of Jacob in Genesis, the older sister given in place of the younger Rachel. Though described as having weak eyes, she bore six of the twelve tribes of Israel. Her name carries the quiet triumph of the overlooked, the endurance of a woman whose worth was proven not by her face but by her extraordinary fruitfulness." It is a girl name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Jewish families.
Is Leah a boy or girl name?
Leah is most commonly used as a girl name.
What is the origin of the name Leah?
Leah is of Hebrew origin, used in Jewish, Christian traditions, commonly among American, European, MiddleEastern families.
What is the numerology of Leah?
Leah has a Pythagorean destiny number of 8 — material mastery and executive power.
See how Leah scores for your family
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