Leah vs Lucy
Leah and Lucycompared 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 2025, Leah was ranked #12 and Lucy #296 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Leah was ranked #55 and Lucy #16 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2022, Leah was ranked #96 and Lucy #20 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #145 and Lucy #28 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Leah was ranked #89 and Lucy #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #119 and Lucy #38 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #184 and Lucy #123 among girls in England and Wales.
Leah and Lucy over time
Leah and Lucy appear together in 6 published lists, across 195 years of shared records. Lucy held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Leah in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 4 of those lists, Lucy in 2. 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 1989, Lucy moved ahead of Leah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #70 and #76 the year before became #83 and #63.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leah and Lucy changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #119 and #38.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Leah and Lucy averaged 38.8 places apart, ending at #184 and #123.
- Longest-running competitions
Leah and Lucy were both ranked in New Zealand · Girls for 34 years, from 1987 to 2022, ending at #96 and #20.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Leah #24 in 2002, Lucy #7 in 2003.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1966–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Lucy in 32.
Highest recorded here: Leah #9 in 2004, Lucy #3 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #55, Lucy #16.
New Zealand · Girls34 shared years, 1987–2022
Leah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lucy in 34.
Highest recorded here: Leah #39 in 2012, Lucy #12 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Leah #96, Lucy #20.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lucy in 29.
Highest recorded here: Leah #24 in 2002, Lucy #7 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leah #184, Lucy #123.
Norway · Girls29 shared years, 1984–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Lucy in 2.
Highest recorded here: Leah #12 in 2025, Lucy #212 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #12, Lucy #296.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Leah held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Lucy in 23.
Highest recorded here: Leah #10 in 2005, Lucy #4 in 2007.
The order changed in 2006: Lucy moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #10 and #12; by 2006 that had become #16 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leah #119, Lucy #38.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls19 shared years, 1985–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Lucy in 15.
Highest recorded here: Leah #59 in 1985, Lucy #20 in 2012.
The order changed in 1989: Lucy moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #70 and #76; by 1989 that had become #83 and #63.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #89, Lucy #32.
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 | Leah | Lucy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | 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. | The English form of Lucia, from Latin 'lux' meaning 'light'. In use since the Middle Ages. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliː.ə/ | /ˈluː.si/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| 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 | Norway · Girls #12 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #16 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed origin, while Lucy is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Leah has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Lucy.
- Leah's recorded meaning differs from Lucy's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
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
Lucy
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #523 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls