Liya is a form of Leah used in Hebrew, Russian and Amharic; the biblical name is usually explained as "weary", though some scholars link it to an Akkadian word for "mistress". Leah was Jacob's first wife in Genesis, and the Ethiopian model Liya Kebede has given this spelling an international face. Liya ranked number 8336 in 2000 and has climbed to number 1344 in 2025, the best rank it has had.