Aisling vs Leah
Aisling and Leahcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Aisling was ranked #180 and Leah #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Aisling was ranked #418 and Leah #69 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Aisling was ranked #1892 and Leah #183 among girls in England and Wales.
Aisling and Leah over time
Aisling and Leah appear together in 3 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Leah held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Aisling in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Aisling reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Leah in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2000, Leah moved ahead of Aisling in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #25 and #27 the year before became #25 and #14.
- Mirrored each other
Over 56 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Leah rose about as far as Aisling fell — from #100 and #310 in 1966 to #180 and #55 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Aisling and Leah were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1892 and #183.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1966–2025
Aisling held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Leah in 26.
Highest recorded here: Aisling #8 in 1991, Leah #9 in 2004.
The order changed in 2000: Leah moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #25 and #27; by 2000 that had become #25 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aisling #180, Leah #55.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Aisling held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leah in 30.
Highest recorded here: Aisling #391 in 1998, Leah #24 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aisling #1892, Leah #183.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2022
Aisling held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leah in 26.
Highest recorded here: Aisling #60 in 1998, Leah #10 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Aisling #418, Leah #69.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aisling | Leah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Likely derives from a Hebrew word meaning 'weary, grieved'; an alternative theory suggests a connection to Akkadian 'littu' ('cow'). In the Old Testament, Leah was Jacob's first wife. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈliː.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #180 (2025) | Norway · Girls #12 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leah has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed); Aisling does not have one recorded yet.
- Aisling has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leah.
- A meaning is recorded for Leah; Aisling doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Aisling
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1892 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Leah
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #310 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2025
Highest recorded position: #9 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1966–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #183 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls