Leah (English)
Where does "Leah" come from?
The name Leah finds its roots in the Hebrew name Lēʾāh, which famously belonged to the elder daughter of Laban in biblical tradition. Borrowed from Hebrew into English, it has persisted through centuries as a common given name and occasional surname. While its ancient origins are tied to specific cultural narratives, it has since become a widely recognized name across diverse linguistic landscapes.
Full etymology tree
- Leah (English), 'The elder daughter of Laban, sister to Rachel, and first wife of Jacob.'
- borrowed לאה (Le'a) (Hebrew), 'Leah'
- inherited *layʾ-at- (Proto-Semitic)
- derived *l-ʾ-y (Proto-Semitic)
- inherited *layʾ-at- (Proto-Semitic)
- borrowed לאה (Le'a) (Hebrew), 'Leah'
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris