Leah vs Selma
Leah and Selmacompared 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 Selma #11 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Leah was ranked #34 and Selma #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #184 and Selma #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Leah and Selma over time
Leah and Selma appear together in 2 published lists, across 68 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leah and Selma changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1982 and 2025, ending at #12 and #11.
- Longest-running competitions
Leah and Selma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 40 years, from 1982 to 2025, ending at #12 and #11.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Leah #12 in 2025, Selma #5 in 2024.
List by list
Norway · Girls40 shared years, 1982–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Selma in 28.
Highest recorded here: Leah #12 in 2025, Selma #5 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #12, Selma #11.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Leah held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Selma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leah #24 in 2002, Selma #1082 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leah #184, Selma #2000.
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 | Selma |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliː.ə/ | |
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #12 (2025) | Norway · Girls #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| 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); Selma does not have one recorded yet.
- Leah has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Selma.
- A meaning is recorded for Leah; Selma doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
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
Selma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #352 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls