Jemma vs Leah
Jemma 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2011, Jemma was ranked #444 and Leah #23 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2016, Jemma was ranked #661 and Leah #30 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2005, Jemma was ranked #86 and Leah #60 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2002, Jemma was ranked #85 and Leah #100 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Jemma was ranked #5927 and Leah #183 among girls in England and Wales.
Jemma and Leah over time
Jemma and Leah appear together in 3 published lists, across 87 years of shared records. Leah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jemma in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jemma 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 43 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Leah rose about as far as Jemma fell — from #402 and #305 in 1973 to #661 and #30 in 2016.
- Longest-running competitions
Jemma and Leah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 43 years, from 1973 to 2016, ending at #661 and #30.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls43 shared years, 1973–2016
Jemma held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leah in 43.
Highest recorded here: Jemma #180 in 1988, Leah #9 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Jemma #661, Leah #30.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2025
Jemma held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Jemma #101 in 1996, Leah #24 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jemma #5927, Leah #183.
Northern Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1997–2011
Jemma held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leah in 15.
Highest recorded here: Jemma #101 in 1997, Leah #10 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Jemma #444, Leah #23.
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 | Jemma | 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 | England and Wales · Girls #5927 (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); Jemma does not have one recorded yet.
- Jemma has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leah.
- A meaning is recorded for Leah; Jemma 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
Jemma
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #385 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1985–2005
Highest recorded position: #73 among girls in New Zealand, in 2002 (recorded 1985–2005).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5927 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