Leander
Leander was given to 122 boys in 2025, #1,463 among boys’ names; 6,956 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 3,990 Americans named Leander and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (57% of everyone recorded); the median is 36 years old and half are between 12 and 60.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Leander by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Leander mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Leander is “a male given name from Ancient Greek, also of a Spanish sixth century saint.” Its etymology gives the senses “people” (λᾱός) and “man” (ἀνήρ).
From Latin Leander, from Ancient Greek Λέανδρος (Léandros), from λεώς (leṓs) (Attic form of λᾱός (lāós, “people”)) + ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”) + -ος (-os).
/liˈændɚ/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Leander?
#1,463 among boys’ names, 2025
Leander rose from #1,944 in 2015 to #1,463 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 39.1 to 71.4 per million.
122 babies in 2025, the peak
Leander peaked in 2025, when 122 boys were given it, #1,463 among boys’ names. In 2024 it went to 94 boys.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 122 | #1,463 | 0.07 |
| 2024 | 94 | #1,758 | 0.05 |
| 2023 | 117 | #1,513 | 0.07 |
| 2022 | 113 | #1,570 | 0.06 |
| 2021 | 89 | #1,788 | 0.05 |
| 2020 | 90 | #1,728 | 0.05 |
| 2019 | 88 | #1,770 | 0.05 |
| 2018 | 65 | #2,156 | 0.04 |
| 2017 | 64 | #2,146 | 0.03 |
| 2016 | 84 | #1,806 | 0.04 |
Every recorded year (145)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 75 | #1,944 | 0.04 |
| 2014 | 69 | #2,051 | 0.04 |
| 2013 | 61 | #2,173 | 0.03 |
| 2012 | 58 | #2,251 | 0.03 |
| 2011 | 50 | #2,493 | 0.03 |
| 2010 | 57 | #2,277 | 0.03 |
| 2009 | 52 | #2,472 | 0.03 |
| 2008 | 50 | #2,532 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 47 | #2,629 | 0.02 |
| 2006 | 42 | #2,772 | 0.02 |
| 2005 | 43 | #2,590 | 0.02 |
| 2004 | 33 | #3,049 | 0.02 |
| 2003 | 29 | #3,239 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 38 | #2,577 | 0.02 |
| 2001 | 36 | #2,658 | 0.02 |
| 2000 | 36 | #2,599 | 0.02 |
| 1999 | 30 | #2,835 | 0.02 |
| 1998 | 27 | #2,980 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 37 | #2,288 | 0.02 |
| 1996 | 32 | #2,459 | 0.02 |
| 1995 | 26 | #2,810 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 43 | #1,948 | 0.02 |
| 1993 | 28 | #2,615 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 31 | #2,383 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 42 | #1,873 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 41 | #1,891 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 37 | #1,973 | 0.02 |
| 1988 | 41 | #1,718 | 0.02 |
| 1987 | 30 | #2,037 | 0.02 |
| 1986 | 39 | #1,656 | 0.02 |
| 1985 | 37 | #1,686 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 46 | #1,412 | 0.03 |
| 1983 | 34 | #1,703 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 47 | #1,387 | 0.03 |
| 1981 | 45 | #1,425 | 0.03 |
| 1980 | 53 | #1,281 | 0.03 |
| 1979 | 46 | #1,381 | 0.03 |
| 1978 | 46 | #1,364 | 0.03 |
| 1977 | 52 | #1,230 | 0.03 |
| 1976 | 49 | #1,249 | 0.03 |
| 1975 | 46 | #1,271 | 0.03 |
| 1974 | 46 | #1,238 | 0.03 |
| 1973 | 54 | #1,116 | 0.03 |
| 1972 | 53 | #1,123 | 0.03 |
| 1971 | 49 | #1,174 | 0.03 |
| 1970 | 46 | #1,232 | 0.02 |
| 1969 | 62 | #978 | 0.03 |
| 1968 | 55 | #1,000 | 0.03 |
| 1967 | 48 | #1,066 | 0.03 |
| 1966 | 55 | #987 | 0.03 |
| 1965 | 49 | #1,059 | 0.03 |
| 1964 | 54 | #1,032 | 0.03 |
| 1963 | 59 | #990 | 0.03 |
| 1962 | 68 | #921 | 0.03 |
| 1961 | 63 | #972 | 0.03 |
| 1960 | 63 | #958 | 0.03 |
| 1959 | 62 | #982 | 0.03 |
| 1958 | 69 | #911 | 0.03 |
| 1957 | 72 | #893 | 0.03 |
| 1956 | 68 | #906 | 0.03 |
| 1955 | 63 | #945 | 0.03 |
| 1954 | 55 | #1,014 | 0.03 |
| 1953 | 53 | #993 | 0.03 |
| 1952 | 46 | #1,071 | 0.02 |
| 1951 | 66 | #863 | 0.04 |
| 1950 | 49 | #996 | 0.03 |
| 1949 | 60 | #894 | 0.03 |
| 1948 | 40 | #1,135 | 0.02 |
| 1947 | 50 | #1,020 | 0.03 |
| 1946 | 42 | #1,067 | 0.03 |
| 1945 | 36 | #1,095 | 0.03 |
| 1944 | 42 | #1,014 | 0.03 |
| 1943 | 42 | #1,044 | 0.03 |
| 1942 | 58 | #862 | 0.04 |
| 1941 | 54 | #865 | 0.04 |
| 1940 | 55 | #855 | 0.05 |
| 1939 | 42 | #985 | 0.04 |
| 1938 | 41 | #1,000 | 0.04 |
| 1937 | 52 | #851 | 0.05 |
| 1936 | 47 | #902 | 0.05 |
| 1935 | 62 | #786 | 0.06 |
| 1934 | 54 | #857 | 0.05 |
| 1933 | 50 | #881 | 0.05 |
| 1932 | 70 | #752 | 0.07 |
| 1931 | 50 | #916 | 0.05 |
| 1930 | 60 | #850 | 0.05 |
| 1929 | 60 | #850 | 0.06 |
| 1928 | 70 | #777 | 0.06 |
| 1927 | 76 | #750 | 0.07 |
| 1926 | 73 | #753 | 0.07 |
| 1925 | 72 | #776 | 0.06 |
| 1924 | 84 | #725 | 0.07 |
| 1923 | 93 | #667 | 0.08 |
| 1922 | 82 | #727 | 0.08 |
| 1921 | 99 | #651 | 0.09 |
| 1920 | 91 | #671 | 0.09 |
| 1919 | 82 | #687 | 0.08 |
| 1918 | 93 | #638 | 0.09 |
| 1917 | 82 | #661 | 0.09 |
| 1916 | 67 | #749 | 0.08 |
| 1915 | 68 | #720 | 0.08 |
| 1914 | 72 | #595 | 0.11 |
| 1913 | 43 | #702 | 0.08 |
| 1912 | 35 | #730 | 0.08 |
| 1911 | 25 | #621 | 0.11 |
| 1910 | 16 | #770 | 0.08 |
| 1909 | 16 | #698 | 0.10 |
| 1908 | 23 | #532 | 0.15 |
| 1907 | 19 | #577 | 0.13 |
| 1906 | 11 | #786 | 0.08 |
| 1905 | 11 | #773 | 0.08 |
| 1904 | 8 | #928 | 0.06 |
| 1903 | 12 | #681 | 0.10 |
| 1902 | 13 | #629 | 0.11 |
| 1901 | 6 | #1,004 | 0.06 |
| 1900 | 16 | #640 | 0.11 |
| 1899 | 7 | #909 | 0.07 |
| 1898 | 9 | #782 | 0.07 |
| 1897 | 15 | #539 | 0.13 |
| 1896 | 13 | #611 | 0.11 |
| 1895 | 9 | #772 | 0.08 |
| 1894 | 10 | #702 | 0.09 |
| 1893 | 11 | #635 | 0.10 |
| 1892 | 16 | #507 | 0.13 |
| 1891 | 11 | #576 | 0.11 |
| 1890 | 20 | #409 | 0.18 |
| 1889 | 22 | #386 | 0.20 |
| 1887 | 8 | #715 | 0.08 |
| 1886 | 17 | #442 | 0.15 |
| 1885 | 16 | #471 | 0.15 |
| 1884 | 21 | #393 | 0.18 |
| 1883 | 18 | #425 | 0.17 |
| 1882 | 28 | #326 | 0.25 |
| 1881 | 21 | #371 | 0.21 |
| 1880 | 17 | #435 | 0.15 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Leander a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Leander has been given almost only to boys: 28 girls in 145 years of records.
Girls and boys named Leander: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Leander, and how old are they?
3,990 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 57% of the 6,956 Americans ever recorded as Leander. The median Leander alive today is 36 years old; half are between 12 and 60.
The 2020 Census counted 3,184 people named Leander (103 women and girls, 3,081 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 3,686 born in the U.S. The Census count is 14% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 167 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 742 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 730 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 568 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 655 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 1,120 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Leander born?
The states with the most babies named Leander are California, Texas and New York, with 59% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 21 | #1,028 | 0.3× |
| Texas | 12 | #1,525 | 0.2× |
| New York | 8 | #1,366 | 0.3× |
| Pennsylvania | 8 | #973 | 0.1× |
| New Jersey | 6 | #988 | 0.0× |
| Ohio | 5 | #1,394 | 0.2× |
| Massachusetts | 5 | #853 | 0.1× |
| Michigan | 5 | #1,206 | 0.0× |
Where Leander is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Leander is most over-represented in Arizona: since 1910 it was given 2.4 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Leander with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Leander
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Leander and names like it
- Compare Leander and OrinBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sLeander peaked in 2025.
- North Carolina’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Leander since 1910.
- Ancient Greek namesWiktionary’s origin for Leander: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2025The year the most babies were named Leander.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Leander alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with LMost given first.