Total births
233,627
Unisex name · since 1880
Lee
Lee has 233,627 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1951 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #716
- among boys today
- 233,627
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Lee currently ranks #716 among unisex names in America, with 233,627 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Lee recorded 233,627 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #716 nationally today, ahead of 95% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #716 among boys today
- 233,627 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lee is currently the #716 unisex name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 233,627 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #716
- among boys today
- 233,627
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Lee vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#716
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Lee was born in this single decade.
1951
Single peak year
3,682 babies were named Lee in 1951 - its busiest year on record.
How Lee compares
233,627 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Lee's all-time total is 637x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lee | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 233,627 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,682 | 23 | 22,252 |
Lee's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lee's full recorded timeline at 1953, 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 2019, with just 297 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1951 peak of 3,682 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lee at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1951
Current rank
#716
Active since
1880
Lee popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1951)
- 3,682
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lee popularity over time - girls
62,299 total births recorded since 1880 (Lee as girls' name)
Lee by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Lee's strongest decade.
35,826 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Lee births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 3,945
1880s
3,945 births
- 1890s 4,384
1890s
4,384 births
- 1900s 5,158
1900s
5,158 births
- 1910s
1910s
15,380 births
- 1920s
1920s
23,556 births
- 1930s
1930s
23,954 births
- 1940s
1940s
30,978 births
- 1950s
1950s
35,826 births
- 1960s
1960s
30,200 births
- 1970s
1970s
21,546 births
- 1980s
1980s
19,788 births
- 1990s 9,011
1990s
9,011 births
- 2000s 4,161
2000s
4,161 births
- 2010s 3,557
2010s
3,557 births
- 2020s 2,183
2020s
2,183 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 35,826 births (15% of all-time use).
How Lee compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Lee's total volume
Lee vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Lee by state
Where Lee concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 16,998 | 7.3% |
| #2 | California | | 13,287 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 11,384 | 4.9% |
| #4 | New York | | 11,305 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 9,839 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 8,970 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 8,747 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 8,246 | 3.5% |
Texas share of Lee's total US births 7.3%
Even split
16,998 of 233,627 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Lee appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lee? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 233,627 babies named Lee. Today it holds rank #716 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1951, with 3,682 births.
When was Lee most popular? ▼
Lee was most popular in the 1950s decade with 35,826 total births. The single peak year was 1951.
Where is Lee most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lee are Texas (16,998 births), California (13,287 births), Pennsylvania (11,384 births).
Is Lee a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Lee is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 233,627 births, and as a girl's name it has 62,299 births.
How long has the name Lee been used? ▼
Lee has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Lee? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Leeroy, Leeland, Leevi, Leelan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Lee's data
- Lee's decade-level peak was the 1950s (35,826 total births); usage has since declined to 2,183 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Lees (16,998 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Lee
Nearby Names Like Lee
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lee
Leeroy Boy
#4436 4,404 births
Leeland Boy
#1770 3,288 births
Leevi Boy
#4774 812 births
Leelan Boy
#6394 554 births
Leeman Boy
380 births
Compare Lee side by side: Lee vs Leeroy Lee vs Leeland Lee vs Leevi
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lee
Finnley #715
5,658 births · Peak 2021
Raylan #717
6,856 births · Peak 2015
Izan #714
2,001 births · Peak 2024
Brayan #718
16,540 births · Peak 2006
Vincenzo #713
10,659 births · Peak 2025
Salvador #719
49,605 births · Peak 1992
Enoch #712
13,118 births · Peak 2023
Forest #720
17,784 births · Peak 2022
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lee: #716 Unisex Name - 233,627 Births, Peak 1951." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lee. 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 Lee 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.