Lea

Often linked to the Biblical name Leah; the exact original meaning is debated in sources.

Lea is a short, widely used feminine name that appears across multiple European languages and is especially common in German-speaking contexts. It reads simple on the page and tends to feel calm and approachable in sound, which is helped by its light vowel pattern and minimal consonants. In many references, Lea is connected to Leah, a name known from Biblical tradition. The deeper etymology of Leah in Hebrew is not always presented identically across sources, and proposed roots can be debated. For that reason, it’s most accurate to treat Lea as a historically anchored name with meaning explanations that depend on which linguistic reference you consult. In English, LAY-ə is a common guide (two syllables, with a soft second syllable). In some languages and regions it may be closer to a single syllable (LAY). A practical tip is to confirm whether the intended form is Lea or Leah in documents, since the spellings are related but not always used interchangeably.

Etymology: Frequently treated as a modern spelling of Leah from Hebrew, with varied scholarly proposals for the original root.