It was discovered by Charles T. Kowal at the Mount Palomar Observatory on September 14, 1974, after three nights' worth of photographic plates had been taken (September 11 through 13; Leda appears on all of them).

[1][10] It was named after Leda, who was raped[11] by Zeus, the Greek equivalent of Jupiter (who came to her in the form of a swan).

Kowal suggested the name and the IAU endorsed it in 1975.

[12] Leda belongs to the Himalia group, moons orbiting between 11 and 13 Gm from Jupiter at an inclination of about 27.5°.

[13] The orbital elements given here are as of January 2021, but they are continuously changing due to solar and planetary perturbations.