Total births
9,965
Boys' name · since 1880
Lemuel
9,965 babies named Lemuel in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2134
- among boys today
- 9,965
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
9,965 babies have been named Lemuel since 1880, making it today's #2134 boys' name.
Lemuel has 9,965 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2134 as of the latest data, more common than 85% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2134 among boys today
- 9,965 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 85% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lemuel is currently the #2134 boys' name in America, more common than 85% of boys - 9,965 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2134
- among boys today
- 9,965
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Lemuel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2134
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
12% of everyone ever named Lemuel was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
147 babies were named Lemuel in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Lemuel compares
9,965 Top 8% higher than 92% 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
Lemuel's all-time total is 27x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lemuel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,965 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 147 | 23 | 22,252 |
Lemuel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Lemuel splits its recorded history at 1953: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1904 (16 births) -- compare that against the 1921 peak of 147 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Lemuel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#2,134
Active since
1880
Lemuel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 147
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lemuel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Lemuel's strongest decade.
1,242 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Lemuel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 400
1880s
400 births
- 1890s 255
1890s
255 births
- 1900s 255
1900s
255 births
- 1910s
1910s
873 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,242 births
- 1930s
1930s
895 births
- 1940s
1940s
865 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,001 births
- 1960s
1960s
882 births
- 1970s
1970s
670 births
- 1980s
1980s
571 births
- 1990s
1990s
533 births
- 2000s 479
2000s
479 births
- 2010s
2010s
634 births
- 2020s 410
2020s
410 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,242 births (12% of all-time use).
How Lemuel 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 Lemuel's total volume
Lemuel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Lemuel by state
Where Lemuel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 693 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 484 | 4.9% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 351 | 3.5% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 341 | 3.4% |
| #5 | Florida | | 299 | 3.0% |
| #6 | New York | | 278 | 2.8% |
| #7 | California | | 276 | 2.8% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 225 | 2.3% |
North Carolina share of Lemuel's total US births 7.0%
Even split
693 of 9,965 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 29 reporting states.
Lemuel appears in 29 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lemuel? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 9,965 babies named Lemuel. Today it holds rank #2134 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1921, with 147 births.
When was Lemuel most popular? ▼
Lemuel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,242 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Lemuel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lemuel are North Carolina (693 births), Texas (484 births), Georgia (351 births).
How long has the name Lemuel been used? ▼
Lemuel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Lemuel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lemar, Lem, Lemon, Lemont, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Lemuel's data
- Lemuel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,242 total births); usage has since declined to 410 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Lemuels (693 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Lemuel
Nearby Names Like Lemuel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lemuel
Lemar Boy
#8348 1,895 births
Lem Boy
1,297 births
Lemon Boy
1,071 births
Lemont Boy
682 births
Lemmie Boy
666 births
Compare Lemuel side by side: Lemuel vs Lemar Lemuel vs Lem Lemuel vs Lemon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lemuel
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. "Lemuel: #2134 Boys' Name - 9,965 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lemuel. 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 Lemuel 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.