Leah vs Summer
Leah and Summercompared 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, Leah was ranked #55 and Summer #115 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2022, Leah was ranked #96 and Summer #75 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Leah was ranked #89 and Summer #89 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #145 and Summer #96 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #184 and Summer #112 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #119 and Summer #161 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Leah and Summer over time
Leah and Summer appear together in 5 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Summer held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Leah in 2.
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.
Leah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Summer 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 2008, Summer moved ahead of Leah in England and Wales · Girls — #39 and #44 the year before became #38 and #23.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leah and Summer changed places 6 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1996 and 2022, ending at #96 and #75.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Leah and Summer averaged 59.1 places apart, ending at #184 and #112.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Leah #78 in 2012, Summer #38 in 2010.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leah held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Summer in 17.
Highest recorded here: Leah #24 in 2002, Summer #23 in 2008.
The order changed in 2008: Summer moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #39 and #44; by 2008 that had become #38 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leah #184, Summer #112.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1998–2024
Leah held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Summer in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leah #10 in 2005, Summer #65 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leah #119, Summer #161.
New Zealand · Girls24 shared years, 1996–2022
Leah held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Summer in 18.
Highest recorded here: Leah #39 in 2012, Summer #28 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Leah #96, Summer #75.
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 2003–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Summer in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leah #9 in 2004, Summer #115 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #55, Summer #115.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls10 shared years, 2010–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Summer in 9.
Highest recorded here: Leah #78 in 2012, Summer #38 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #89, Summer #89.
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 | Summer |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #12 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #89 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Summer does not have one recorded yet.
- Leah has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Summer.
- A meaning is recorded for Leah; Summer doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, 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
Summer
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #206 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #23 among girls in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #89 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls