Total births
2,360
Unisex name · since 1895
Lael
Lael has 2,360 recorded births since 1895 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2667
- among girls today
- 2,360
- born since 1895
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lael is the #2667 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 2,360 recorded since 1895.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lael has been recorded 2,360 times among girls since 1895, currently ranked #2667 nationally and more common than 85% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1895 to 2025.
- #2667 among girls today
- 2,360 born since 1895
- 2010s peak decade
- 85% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lael is currently the #2667 unisex name in America, more common than 85% of girls - 2,360 born since 1895, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2667
- among girls today
- 2,360
- born since 1895
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other girls
Lael vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2667
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 85% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Lael was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
99 babies were named Lael in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Lael compares
2,360 Top 20% higher than 80% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Lael's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lael | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,360 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 99 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lael's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Lael splits its recorded history at 1971: 73% of all births land in the more recent half, 27% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1895 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 99 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Lael at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2025
Current rank
#2,667
Active since
1895
Lael popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 99
- Annual births at peak, across 131 years of records
Lael popularity over time - boys
1,166 total births recorded since 1922 (Lael as boys' name)
Lael by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Lael's strongest decade.
560 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Lael births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1910s 25
1910s
25 births
- 1920s 50
1920s
50 births
- 1930s 134
1930s
134 births
- 1940s 125
1940s
125 births
- 1950s 174
1950s
174 births
- 1960s 124
1960s
124 births
- 1970s 144
1970s
144 births
- 1980s 156
1980s
156 births
- 1990s 150
1990s
150 births
- 2000s
2000s
337 births
- 2010s
2010s
560 births
- 2020s
2020s
376 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 560 births (24% of all-time use).
How Lael compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Lael's total volume
Lael vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lael by state
Where Lael concentrates geographically, total births since 1895
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 134 | 5.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 59 | 2.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 55 | 2.3% |
| #4 | Florida | | 36 | 1.5% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 32 | 1.4% |
| #6 | Washington | | 32 | 1.4% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 21 | 0.9% |
| #8 | Maryland | | 18 | 0.8% |
California share of Lael's total US births 5.7%
Even split
134 of 2,360 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 13 reporting states.
Lael appears in 13 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lael? ▼
Lael has been given to 2,360 babies in the U.S. since 1895, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #2667 as of the latest data. 99 babies were born in 2025, its single highest year.
When was Lael most popular? ▼
Lael was most popular in the 2010s decade with 560 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Lael most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lael are California (134 births), Texas (59 births), New York (55 births).
Is Lael a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Lael is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 2,360 births, and as a boy's name it has 1,166 births.
How long has the name Lael been used? ▼
Records for Lael go back to 1895, giving 131 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Lael? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Laela, Laelah, Laetitia, Laelynn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lael's data
- Lael's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (560 total births) through the 2020s (376) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Laels (134 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lael
Nearby Names Like Lael
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lael
Laela Girl
#3847 1,685 births
Laelah Girl
474 births
Laetitia Girl
375 births
Laelynn Girl
#3570 362 births
Laelani Girl
#6577 289 births
Compare Lael side by side: Lael vs Laela Lael vs Laelah Lael vs Laetitia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lael
Jayne #2666
29,107 births · Peak 1957
Zofia #2668
2,013 births · Peak 2011
Anastacia #2665
5,114 births · Peak 2003
Emy #2669
1,497 births · Peak 2024
Alethea #2664
4,968 births · Peak 1973
Brigid #2670
6,504 births · Peak 2000
Bobbie #2663
88,627 births · Peak 1934
Nava #2671
1,513 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1895–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lael: #2667 Unisex Name - 2,360 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lael. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Lael draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.