Chelsea vs Leah
Chelsea 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, Chelsea was ranked #608 and Leah #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2008, Chelsea was ranked #98 and Leah #66 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2019, Chelsea was ranked #100 and Leah #83 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Chelsea was ranked #407 and Leah #119 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Chelsea was ranked #1230 and Leah #184 among girls in England and Wales.
Chelsea and Leah over time
Chelsea and Leah appear together in 5 published lists, across 108 years of shared records. Leah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Chelsea in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Chelsea reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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 1999, Leah moved ahead of Chelsea in England and Wales · Girls — #39 and #40 the year before became #43 and #32.
- Longest-running competitions
Chelsea and Leah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 35 years, from 1989 to 2025, ending at #608 and #55.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #34 and #35 in England and Wales · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2024 they were #1230 and #184.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1989–2025
Chelsea held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leah in 35.
Highest recorded here: Chelsea #54 in 1999, Leah #9 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Chelsea #608, Leah #55.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Chelsea held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Leah in 26.
Highest recorded here: Chelsea #34 in 1996, Leah #24 in 2002.
The order changed in 1999: Leah moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #39 and #40; by 1999 that had become #43 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Chelsea #1230, Leah #184.
New Zealand · Girls18 shared years, 1987–2008
Chelsea held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Leah in 6.
Highest recorded here: Chelsea #19 in 1994, Leah #48 in 2007.
The order changed in 2001: Leah moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #55 and #69; by 2001 that had become #78 and #58.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Chelsea #98, Leah #66.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1997–2024
Chelsea held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leah in 18.
Highest recorded here: Chelsea #35 in 1998, Leah #10 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Chelsea #407, Leah #119.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls8 shared years, 2001–2019
Chelsea held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Leah in 1.
Highest recorded here: Chelsea #28 in 2002, Leah #78 in 2012.
The order changed in 2019: Leah moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #59 and #85; by 2019 that had become #100 and #83.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Chelsea #100, Leah #83.
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 | Chelsea | 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, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (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); Chelsea does not have one recorded yet.
- Chelsea has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leah.
- A meaning is recorded for Leah; Chelsea doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Chelsea
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #65 among girls in New Zealand in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1987–2008
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1994 (recorded 1987–2008).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #608 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