Leah vs Niamh
Leah and Niamhcompared 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 2024, Leah was ranked #119 and Niamh #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Leah was ranked #55 and Niamh #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2000, Leah was ranked #69 and Niamh #94 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #145 and Niamh #76 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Leah was ranked #183 and Niamh #208 among girls in England and Wales.
Leah and Niamh over time
Leah and Niamh appear together in 3 published lists, across 114 years of shared records. Niamh held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Leah in 1.
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.
Niamh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 2003, Leah moved ahead of Niamh in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #15 and #8 the year before became #10 and #11.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leah and Niamh changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #183 and #208.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Leah and Niamh averaged 22.5 places apart, ending at #183 and #208.
- Mirrored each other
Over 56 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Leah rose about as far as Niamh fell — from #310 and #56 in 1966 to #55 and #90 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Leah and Niamh were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #183 and #208.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Leah #24 in 2002, Niamh #40 in 2000.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1966–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Niamh in 33.
Highest recorded here: Leah #9 in 2004, Niamh #2 in 1993.
The order changed in 2003: Leah moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #15 and #8; by 2003 that had become #10 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #55, Niamh #90.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Niamh in 3.
Highest recorded here: Leah #24 in 2002, Niamh #40 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #183, Niamh #208.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Leah held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Niamh in 25.
Highest recorded here: Leah #10 in 2005, Niamh #5 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leah #119, Niamh #47.
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 | Niamh |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Traditionally interpreted as 'bright' or 'radiant'. In Irish mythology, Niamh was daughter of the sea god Manannán mac Lir, who fell in love with the poet Oisín. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed | Irish (mythological) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliː.ə/ | /ˈnʲiːvˠ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Neve, Níam |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #12 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #90 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Leah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed origin, while Niamh is recorded with a Irish (mythological) origin.
- Leah and Niamh both have 1 syllable.
- Leah's recorded meaning differs from Niamh's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Leah a "medium" Data Confidence level and Niamh a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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 #183 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Niamh
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #109 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1993 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #208 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls