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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Leah or Leigh or neither?

38 replies

OrangeFizz99 · 16/01/2014 12:30

Pg with dc3 could be dd3. Stuck for third girls name!

Lea (with accent) popular in France and Germany and I love. Would probably use uk spelling of Leah though.

Dh thinks Leah ok but thinks Leigh would be better. I think it's ok but isn't it a boys name really? Would just seem like we wanted a da so named dd3 with a boys name?!

Any opinion on Leah or Leigh?

Thanks!

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GimmeDaBoobehz · 21/01/2014 20:45

Leah.

Leigh makes me think of Lee.

Algorithm · 21/01/2014 19:27

My DS is Leah and I have a DU called Leigh. Please go for Leah.

I always feel Lea is a NN and like an unfinished name. Plus Leah can be shortened to 'Lee' as a NN.

Phoebe47 · 20/01/2014 23:07

Leah. Definitely.

kslatts · 18/01/2014 15:16

Love the name Leah, and it's my nieces name

kslatts · 18/01/2014 15:16

Love the name Leah, and it's my nieces name

Sundaedelight · 18/01/2014 12:38

Neither.

How about Leonora instead with nn Lee?

Original poster
OrangeFizz99 · 18/01/2014 12:36

Thanks all, sudden surge of Leigh lovers!

OP posts:
TidyDancer · 18/01/2014 12:26

I'm in the SE and Leigh is a reasonably popular girls name from the late 80s/early 90s. I was an adult before I heard it used as a boys name, and IMO it doesn't work. Too feminine.

Leah/Lea has an ugly tone to it IMO. I can't put my finger on exactly why I think that, but personally for me it's one to steer clear of.

Leigh/Lee is much nicer.

DramaAlpaca · 17/01/2014 23:03

Leah is OK, much better than Leigh.

Starballbunny · 17/01/2014 23:00

DF's DD2 is Leah and I've always liked it. Never seen Lea (with/without an accent, it doesn't look finished).

Weegiemum · 17/01/2014 22:48

One of my loveliest friends is a woman named Leigh. Not so keen on Leah, myself.

MoominsYonisAreScary · 17/01/2014 22:44

My sisters name is Leah, its a great name

Yika · 17/01/2014 21:19

I know a female Leigh so it seems like a girls name. I always think of Lee Miller and think it sounds cool.

Leah is pretty too.

And so is Lia!

Can't go wrong really.

Frontdoorstep · 17/01/2014 15:55

Like Leah best but both are nice. I would say Leigh is a girls name but Lee is a boys name.

grizzabellia · 17/01/2014 14:58

Leigh/Lee is a boy's name from the eighties.

Leah is lovely.

strawberryswing · 17/01/2014 14:52

Leah is lovely, it was 2nd on my list. Leigh could always be a nickname (my cousin is Leanne but goes by Leigh with no problems)

Original poster
OrangeFizz99 · 17/01/2014 11:32

Thanks TheAuthoress for your heartfelt answer! We've always gone simple with names before for this reason.

I like the idea of being the only one cheese.

Thanks all

OP posts:
nocheeseplease · 17/01/2014 10:17

Im biased as I have one but I vote for Leah. My Leah is 9 now and we very rarely meet anybody else with that name, she's the only Leah in her school.

GlitzAndGiggles · 17/01/2014 10:13

Defo Leah

TheAuthoress · 17/01/2014 10:12

My name is Leigh (I'm a girl) and I would say go with Leah please! Everyone expects me to be male, or doesn't know how to pronounce my name if they see it spelt.

Original poster
OrangeFizz99 · 17/01/2014 09:55

Lia feels like a diff name though. Dh's middle name is Lee so I think Leah gives a slight call out to that without overemphasising the point.

Seems like most people would assume Leigh/Lee to be male.

OP posts:
Beehatch · 16/01/2014 21:57

How about the Lia spelling?

HairyPotter · 16/01/2014 21:37

I love Leah. Classic, timeless and underused. What's not to love?

Not keen on Leigh. I used to know a girl named Lee though. She was always presumed to be male.

dixiedoodle · 16/01/2014 21:33

The American & Jewish people I've dealt with through work pronounce it lay-ah and I gave up correcting them but no one else seems to have a problem with the pronunciation or spelling despite the fact that there aren't too many of us about.

dixiedoodle · 16/01/2014 21:27

I am Leah, after my Scottish maternal granny, and I absolutely love it.

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