Girl · Hebrew · Old Testament

Leah

Q: Is Leah a biblical name?

Yes. Leah appears in the Old Testament. Leah was given to Jacob in marriage through her father's deception, and she spent years knowing she was not his first choice. Scripture is honest about her pain, noting that Jacob loved Rachel more, yet it also says the Lord saw that Leah was not loved and opened her womb (Genesis 29:31).

LEE-uh · from Le'ah · means “Weary, or gazelle”

Leah is a Hebrew name traditionally understood as "weary," though some scholars connect it to a word for "gazelle." She was Jacob's first wife and, though less loved than her sister Rachel, became the mother of six of Israel's twelve tribes, including Judah, the ancestor of Jesus (Genesis 29).

Faith Hope Grace

“When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.”
— Genesis 29:31 (NIV)

The story behind the name

Leah was given to Jacob in marriage through her father's deception, and she spent years knowing she was not his first choice. Scripture is honest about her pain, noting that Jacob loved Rachel more, yet it also says the Lord saw that Leah was not loved and opened her womb (Genesis 29:31).

One by one Leah bore sons, and in their names she poured out her longing for love and her growing trust in God. With her fourth son, Judah, her focus shifted from being noticed by her husband to praising the Lord: "This time I will praise the Lord" (Genesis 29:35).

Through Judah's line came King David and, generations later, Jesus Christ himself. A daughter named Leah carries the quiet dignity of a woman overlooked by people but seen and honored by God.

A blessing to pray over Leah

Father, when this daughter feels overlooked, remind her that You see her fully and love her completely. May her life turn toward praise, like Leah's, and may her faithfulness bear fruit for generations. Amen.