In early 20th century scholarly works of Selishchev, Jaranov and Vasmer, the village placename is given as Leska, while Kanchov gives the form Ljaitiza which stems from the Albanian word Lajthi meaning hazelnut.[4] The toponym Leska is topographic referring to Hazel trees.[4]
In 2013, the village's official name was changed back from "Lajthizë" to "Leska".[5]
History
In 1939, on behalf of 15 Bulgarian houses in Leska, Lazo Traykov signed a request by the local Bulgarians to the Bulgarian tsaritsaGiovanna requesting her intervention for the protection of the Bulgarian people in Albania - at that time an Italian protectorate.[6]
Demographics
The "La Macédoine et sa Population Chrétienne" survey by Dimitar Mishev (D. Brankov) concluded that village had 120 Bulgarian Exarchists residents in 1905.[7]
A 2007 estimate put the village population around 300 to 350 residents.[8]
^ abWłodzimierz, Pianka (1970). Toponomastikata na Ohridsko-Prespanskiot bazen. Institut za makedonski jazik "Krste Misirkov". p. 143. "Леска... Во насловниот облик е забележена кај Селишчев (op. cit, 1), Јаранов и Фасмер (с. 192: Λέσκα), додека што К'нчов е запишана како Ляаитиза (алб. lajthi 'лешник'). Име е примарно, топографско, рамно на апел. Леска."
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