Leah vs Samantha
Leah and Samanthacompared 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 Samantha #525 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Leah was ranked #55 and Samantha #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2015, Leah was ranked #67 and Samantha #85 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2013, Leah was ranked #97 and Samantha #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Leah was ranked #86 and Samantha #446 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #145 and Samantha #541 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Leah was ranked #183 and Samantha #778 among girls in England and Wales.
Leah and Samantha over time
Leah and Samantha appear together in 6 published lists, across 201 years of shared records. Leah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Samantha in 2.
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.
Samantha reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Leah 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1997, Leah moved ahead of Samantha in England and Wales · Girls — #35 and #32 the year before became #36 and #38.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Leah and Samantha averaged 50.9 places apart, ending at #97 and #84.
- Longest-running competitions
Leah and Samantha were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #183 and #778.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #35 and #32 in England and Wales · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2025 they were #183 and #778.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1966–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Samantha in 25.
Highest recorded here: Leah #9 in 2004, Samantha #33 in 1986.
The order changed in 1995: Leah moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #66 and #56; by 1995 that had become #57 and #61.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #55, Samantha #885.
Norway · Girls37 shared years, 1984–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Samantha in 8.
Highest recorded here: Leah #12 in 2025, Samantha #298 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #12, Samantha #525.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Samantha in 1.
Highest recorded here: Leah #24 in 2002, Samantha #32 in 1996.
The order changed in 1997: Leah moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #35 and #32; by 1997 that had become #36 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #183, Samantha #778.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls28 shared years, 1968–2013
Leah held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Samantha in 27.
Highest recorded here: Leah #47 in 1983, Samantha #4 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Leah #97, Samantha #84.
New Zealand · Girls27 shared years, 1987–2015
Leah held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Samantha in 24.
Highest recorded here: Leah #39 in 2012, Samantha #3 in 1990.
The order changed in 2014: Leah moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #50 and #46; by 2014 that had become #61 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Leah #67, Samantha #85.
Northern Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1997–2021
Leah held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Samantha in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leah #10 in 2005, Samantha #57 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Leah #86, Samantha #446.
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 | Samantha |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Likely a feminine adaptation of Samuel, incorporating a suffix possibly derived from Greek 'anthos' ('flower'). Emerged in 18th-century America; boosted to wide popularity by the 1964 television series Bewitched. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed | Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliː.ə/ | /sə.ˈmæn.θə/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| 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) | Norway · Girls #525 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| 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 Samantha is recorded with a Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) origin.
- Leah has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Samantha.
- Leah's recorded meaning differs from Samantha'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 #183 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Samantha
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2013
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1992 (recorded 1966–2013).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #778 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls