Total births
194
Unisex name · since 1919
Leary
Leary has 194 recorded births since 1919 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1926 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 194
- total births
- 1919–1961
- years on record
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
194 boys have been named Leary since 1919, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Leary recorded 194 times among boys since 1919, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1919 to 1961.
- 194 total births
- 1919–1961 years on record
- 1940s peak decade
- 31% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
194 boys have been named Leary since 1919, peaking in the 1940s, last recorded in 1961.
- 194
- total births
- 1919–1961
- years on record
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
1940s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Leary was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
11 babies were named Leary in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
Leary's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Leary's full recorded timeline at 1939, 52% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 48% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1919, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1926 peak of 11 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Leary at a glance
Last recorded 1961Peak year
1926
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1919
Leary popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1919–1961
- Peak year (1926)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 43 years of records
Leary popularity over time - girls
16 total births recorded since 1912 (Leary as girls' name)
Leary by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Leary's strongest decade.
61 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Leary births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s
1920s
43 births
- 1930s
1930s
50 births
- 1940s
1940s
61 births
- 1950s 24
1950s
24 births
- 1960s 11
1960s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 61 births (31% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Leary? ▼
194 babies have been named Leary since 1919. It was last recorded in 1961. The peak year was 1926 with 11 births.
When was Leary most popular? ▼
Leary was most popular in the 1940s decade with 61 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
Is Leary a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Leary is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 194 births, and as a girl's name it has 16 births.
How long has the name Leary been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Leary since 1919 -- 43 years through the most recent 1961 data.
What names are similar to Leary? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Leandro, Leander, Leamon, Leandre, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Leary's data
- Leary's decade-level peak was the 1940s (61 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 1960s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Leary
Nearby Names Like Leary
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Leary
Leandro Boy
#499 11,078 births
Leander Boy
#1754 6,928 births
Leamon Boy
2,672 births
Leandre Boy
#5279 1,659 births
Leandrew Boy
1,010 births
Compare Leary side by side: Leary vs Leandro Leary vs Leander Leary vs Leamon
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1919–1961 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Leary: Baby Name Since 1919 - 194 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/leary. 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 Leary 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 July 2026.