Boys' name · since 1912
Leif
Leif has 9,997 recorded births since 1912 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2022 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,203 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #917 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 9,997
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
9,997 babies have been named Leif since 1912, making it today's #917 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Leif recorded 9,997 times among boys since 1912, holding rank #917 nationally today, ahead of 93% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #1,203 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #917 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 9,997 born since 1912
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Leif ranks #1,203 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #917 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 9,997 born since 1912, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1,203 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #917 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 9,997
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
Leif's 9,997 recorded births place it above 97.35% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
40 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Leif compares
9,997 Top 9% higher than 91% of 13,930 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
Leif's all-time total is 27x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Leif | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,997 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 290 | 34 | 22,252 |
Leif's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Leif's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 82% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 18%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1920, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 2022 peak of 290, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Leif popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 290
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Leif popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1981 (Leif as girls' name)
Leif by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (1,971 births, 20% of the file).
2010s was Leif's strongest decade.
1,971 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Leif births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 127
1910s
127 births
- 1920s 126
1920s
126 births
- 1930s 111
1930s
111 births
- 1940s 196
1940s
196 births
- 1950s 442
1950s
442 births
- 1960s
1960s
886 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,158 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,231 births
- 1990s
1990s
878 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,329 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,971 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,542 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,971 births (20% of all-time use).
How Leif 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 Leif's total volume
Leif by state
Where Leif concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,173 | 11.7% |
| #2 | Washington | | 623 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Minnesota | | 575 | 5.8% |
| #4 | New York | | 429 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Texas | | 334 | 3.3% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 300 | 3.0% |
| #7 | Oregon | | 229 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Colorado | | 225 | 2.3% |
1,173 of 9,997 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Leif appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Leif? ▼
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When was Leif most popular? ▼
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What to do with Leif's data
- Leif's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,971 total births) through the 2020s (1,542) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Leifs (1,173 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 Leif
Nearby Names Like Leif
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Leif
Compare Leif side by side: Leif vs Leighton Leif vs Leigh Leif vs Leith
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Leif
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Leif: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2022)
Similar record span (~113 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, 1912–2025 (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 Leif 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.