Leathy is an uncommon given name of unknown origin, believed to have been coined for its uniqueness rather than drawn from established naming traditions. It consists of five letters: L, e, a, t, h, and y, with the vowels 'e' and 'a' forming a pleasing balance among the consonants. The name's pronunciation closely resembles that of the common English word "lethargy," but it is pronounced without the final 'g': /ˈliːði/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet. As a result, those who encounter Leathy for the first time often associate it with words like "leather" or "light." However, its unique spelling and pronunciation set it apart from these common terms, lending Leathy an air of individuality and singularity.
Leathy was quite popular in 1917 with six births that year, but overall it remained rare with only those six recorded instances.