Unisex name · since 1916
Lean
Since 1916, U.S. Social Security records show 671 babies named Lean, peaking in 1985. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #9,801 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 671
- born since 1916
- 1980s
- peak decade
Lean sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 671 recorded since 1916.
Lean has 671 recorded births among girls since 1916, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 2023.
- #9,801 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 671 born since 1916
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lean ranks #9,801 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 671 born since 1916, peaking in the 1980s.
- #9,801 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 671
- born since 1916
- 1980s
- peak decade
Lean's 671 recorded births place it above 86.44% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
Lean's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lean's full recorded timeline at 1985, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1916, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1985 peak of 27 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lean popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2023
- Peak year (1985)
- 27
- Annual births at peak, across 108 years of records
Lean popularity over time - boys
221 total births recorded since 1919 (Lean as boys' name)
Lean by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (194 births, 29% of the file).
1980s was Lean's strongest decade.
194 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Lean births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 18
1920s
18 births
- 1950s 33
1950s
33 births
- 1960s
1960s
93 births
- 1970s
1970s
102 births
- 1980s
1980s
194 births
- 1990s 71
1990s
71 births
- 2000s 61
2000s
61 births
- 2010s 76
2010s
76 births
- 2020s 18
2020s
18 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 194 births (29% of all-time use).
How Lean 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 Lean's total volume
Lean by state
Where Lean concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 14 | 2.1% |
14 of 671 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Lean's data
- Lean's decade-level peak was the 1980s (194 total births); usage has since declined to 18 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Leans (14 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lean
Nearby Names Like Lean
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lean
Compare Lean side by side: Lean vs Leah Lean vs Lea Lean vs Leanne
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Lean: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1985)
Similar record span (~107 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1916–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Lean 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 August 2026.