Carla vs Leah
Carla 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2023, Carla was ranked #347 and Leah #18 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1983, Carla was ranked #96 and Leah #47 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Carla was ranked #325 and Leah #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Carla was ranked #328 and Leah #70 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1977, Carla was ranked #86 and Leah #100 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Carla was ranked #638 and Leah #145 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Carla was ranked #638 and Leah #184 among girls in England and Wales.
Carla and Leah over time
Carla and Leah appear together in 4 published lists, across 137 years of shared records. Leah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Carla in 0.
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.
Carla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Leah in 1. 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
Carla and Leah changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1970 and 2025, ending at #325 and #55.
- Longest-running competitions
Carla and Leah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 55 years, from 1970 to 2025, ending at #325 and #55.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1970–2025
Carla held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Leah in 52.
Highest recorded here: Carla #117 in 2000, Leah #9 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Carla #325, Leah #55.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Carla held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Carla #186 in 1997, Leah #24 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Carla #638, Leah #184.
Norway · Girls29 shared years, 1982–2023
Carla held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Leah in 22.
Highest recorded here: Carla #336 in 2015, Leah #13 in 2012.
The order changed in 1996: Leah moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #620 and #639; by 1996 that had become #626 and #380.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Carla #347, Leah #18.
Northern Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1997–2023
Carla held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leah in 24.
Highest recorded here: Carla #79 in 1997, Leah #10 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Carla #328, Leah #70.
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 | Carla | 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 | /ˈliː.ə/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025) | Norway · Girls #12 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 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); Carla does not have one recorded yet.
- Carla has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leah.
- A meaning is recorded for Leah; Carla doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Carla
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #274 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 recorded1974–1980
Highest recorded position: #74 among girls in New Zealand, in 1974 (recorded 1974–1980).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #325 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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 #89 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls