Katie vs Leah
Katie 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, Katie was ranked #41 and Leah #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Katie was ranked #47 and Leah #119 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2014, Katie was ranked #94 and Leah #61 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2002, Katie was ranked #81 and Leah #100 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Katie was ranked #131 and Leah #145 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Katie was ranked #547 and Leah #184 among girls in England and Wales.
Katie and Leah over time
Katie and Leah appear together in 5 published lists, across 151 years of shared records. Katie held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Leah in 0.
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.
Leah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Katie 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Girls, Katie moved into the top 50 at #45 in 2024 as Leah fell out of it to #53, having been #43 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2015, Leah moved ahead of Katie in England and Wales · Girls — #77 and #78 the year before became #99 and #98.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Katie and Leah averaged 26.5 places apart, ending at #94 and #61.
- Longest-running competitions
Katie and Leah were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 50 years, from 1973 to 2025, ending at #41 and #55.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Katie #9 in 2004, Leah #24 in 2002.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1973–2025
Katie held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Leah in 7.
Highest recorded here: Katie #2 in 2004, Leah #9 in 2004.
The order changed in 2024: Katie moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #51 and #43; by 2024 that had become #45 and #53.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Katie #41, Leah #55.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Katie held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Leah in 13.
Highest recorded here: Katie #9 in 2004, Leah #24 in 2002.
The order changed in 2015: Leah moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #77 and #78; by 2015 that had become #99 and #98.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Katie #547, Leah #184.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Katie held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Leah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Katie #1 in 2004, Leah #10 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Katie #47, Leah #119.
New Zealand · Girls26 shared years, 1976–2014
Katie held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Leah in 3.
Highest recorded here: Katie #33 in 2008, Leah #48 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Katie #94, Leah #61.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls18 shared years, 1976–2002
Katie held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Leah in 2.
Highest recorded here: Katie #23 in 1986, Leah #47 in 1983.
The order changed in 2002: Katie moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #97 and #82; by 2002 that had become #81 and #100.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Katie #81, Leah #100.
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 | Katie | Leah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Kate, itself a short form of Katherine. | 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 | Greek, diminutive form | Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪ.ti/ | /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 #41 (2025) | Norway · Girls #12 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Katie is recorded with a Greek, diminutive form origin, while Leah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed origin.
- Katie has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leah.
- Katie's recorded meaning differs from Leah's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Katie
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #508 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #41 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