Leah vs Tara
Leah and Taracompared 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 Tara #300 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Leah was ranked #55 and Tara #166 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2002, Leah was ranked #100 and Tara #57 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Leah was ranked #70 and Tara #178 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1991, Leah was ranked #90 and Tara #87 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #145 and Tara #384 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Leah was ranked #184 and Tara #547 among girls in England and Wales.
Leah and Tara over time
Leah and Tara appear together in 5 published lists, across 162 years of shared records. Leah held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Tara 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.
Tara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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 took the other's place near the top
In New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Tara moved into the top 50 at #27 in 1984 as Leah fell out of it to #53, having been #47 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1984, Tara moved ahead of Leah in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #47 and #61 the year before became #53 and #27.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leah and Tara changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1982 and 2025, ending at #12 and #300.
- Longest-running competitions
Leah and Tara were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 39 years, from 1982 to 2025, ending at #12 and #300.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Leah #47 in 1983, Tara #20 in 1985.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1966–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Tara in 26.
Highest recorded here: Leah #9 in 2004, Tara #27 in 1987.
The order changed in 1996: Leah moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #57 and #38; by 1996 that had become #38 and #41.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #55, Tara #166.
Norway · Girls39 shared years, 1982–2025
Leah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Tara in 10.
Highest recorded here: Leah #12 in 2025, Tara #219 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leah #12, Tara #300.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Tara in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leah #24 in 2002, Tara #110 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leah #184, Tara #547.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Leah held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Tara in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leah #10 in 2005, Tara #45 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leah #70, Tara #178.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls11 shared years, 1983–2002
Leah held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Tara in 10.
Highest recorded here: Leah #47 in 1983, Tara #20 in 1985.
The order changed in 1984: Tara moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #47 and #61; by 1984 that had become #53 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Leah #100, Tara #57.
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 | Tara |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #12 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #166 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, etymology disputed); Tara does not have one recorded yet.
- Leah has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Tara.
- A meaning is recorded for Leah; Tara doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Tara
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #327 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 recorded1983–2007
Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1985 (recorded 1983–2007).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #300 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls