Holly vs Leah
Holly 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, Holly was ranked #69 and Leah #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2020, Holly was ranked #78 and Leah #75 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Holly was ranked #79 and Leah #145 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2015, Holly was ranked #98 and Leah #85 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Holly was ranked #105 and Leah #119 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Holly was ranked #137 and Leah #184 among girls in England and Wales.
Holly and Leah over time
Holly and Leah appear together in 5 published lists, across 150 years of shared records. Holly held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Leah in 2.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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 2024, Holly moved ahead of Leah in Northern Ireland · Girls — #88 and #70 the year before became #105 and #119.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Holly and Leah changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1983 and 2015, ending at #98 and #85.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Holly and Leah averaged 30.4 places apart, ending at #137 and #184.
- Longest-running competitions
Holly and Leah were both ranked in New Zealand · Girls for 31 years, from 1987 to 2020, ending at #78 and #75.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Holly #12 in 2002, Leah #24 in 2002.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1976–2025
Holly held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Leah in 32.
Highest recorded here: Holly #11 in 2010, Leah #9 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Holly #69, Leah #55.
New Zealand · Girls31 shared years, 1987–2020
Holly held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Leah in 2.
Highest recorded here: Holly #16 in 1994, Leah #39 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Holly #78, Leah #75.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Holly held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Leah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Holly #12 in 2002, Leah #24 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Holly #137, Leah #184.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Holly held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Leah in 24.
Highest recorded here: Holly #22 in 2003, Leah #10 in 2005.
The order changed in 2024: Holly moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #88 and #70; by 2024 that had become #105 and #119.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Holly #105, Leah #119.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls16 shared years, 1983–2015
Holly held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Leah in 6.
Highest recorded here: Holly #22 in 2002, Leah #47 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Holly #98, Leah #85.
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 | Holly | 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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #69 (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); Holly does not have one recorded yet.
- Holly has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leah.
- A meaning is recorded for Leah; Holly doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Holly
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #392 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1976–2025
Highest recorded position: #11 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2010 (recorded 1976–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 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