Regardless of meaning, the name Leia is most often recognized because of the “Star Wars” films, in which it was the name of Princess Leia, one of the franchise’s main characters.
How Popular Is the Name Leia?
Prior to 1978, the name Leia hadn’t appeared on the list of top 1,000 baby names in the United States since at least 1900. But the first Star Wars movie was released in 1977, and the name made its debut at number 911 the following year. Since then, the name Leia has seen a slow rise in popularity. In fact, it only appeared in the top 1,000 baby names in 1978 and 1980 before dropping off the list completely again until 2006. Since then, the name has consistently remained in the top 1,000, reaching peak popularity in 2017 when it appeared at No. 282 on the list. In 2020, the name came in as No. 295.
Name Variations
There are a few different variations and spellings of the name Leia:
Lea (Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German)Leah (Hebrew, English)Leja (Lithuanian)Lia (Latin, Galician, Greek, Italian)Lya (French)
Similar Names
Other girl names inspired by popular culture:
Arya (“Game of Thrones”) Lane (“Gilmore Girls”) Luna (“Harry Potter”) Maeby (“Arrested Development”) Meadow (“The Sopranos”) Millie (“Stranger Things”) Piper (“Orange Is the New Black”) River (“Firefly”) Willow (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”)
Other girl names that start with ‘L’:
Lacey Layla Leighton Lennyn Letty Lexi Lilah Lily Liv Lorelai
Suggested Sibling Names
Some names that may go well with Leia are:
ChristianDashiellEmmittFionaLukePaceyRiverVaydaVera
Top 1,000 Baby Girl Names in the U.S. 100 Russian Baby Names 50 Dutch Baby Names
