Belle vs Leigha
Belle and Leighacompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Belle was ranked #311 and Leigha #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Belle was ranked #336 and Leigha #586 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Belle was ranked #426 and Leigha #358 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Belle and Leigha over time
Belle and Leigha appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Belle held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Leigha in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Leigha reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Belle 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Belle and Leigha changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 2006 and 2021, ending at #336 and #586.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2024
Belle held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Leigha in 11.
Highest recorded here: Belle #229 in 2018, Leigha #668 in 2005.
The order changed in 2007: Belle moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #1052 and #739; by 2007 that had become #706 and #1160.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Belle #311, Leigha #5891.
Republic of Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 2006–2021
Belle held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Leigha in 2.
Highest recorded here: Belle #264 in 2015, Leigha #510 in 2010.
The order changed in 2015: Belle moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #540 and #540; by 2015 that had become #264 and #896.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Belle #336, Leigha #586.
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 | Belle | Leigha |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 73/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Belle and Leigha both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Belle
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2096 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2011–2024
Highest recorded position: #179 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2018 (recorded 2011–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Leigha
Popularity journey
First recorded1995
First recorded at #451 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1995 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2000–2017
Highest recorded position: #268 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2012 (recorded 2000–2017).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls