Total births
4,514
Boys' name · since 1880
Len
Len has 4,514 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #8995
- among boys today
- 4,514
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Len currently ranks #8995 among boys' names in America, with 4,514 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Len has been recorded 4,514 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #8995 nationally and more common than 37% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #8995 among boys today
- 4,514 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
- 37% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Len is currently the #8995 boys' name in America, more common than 37% of boys - 4,514 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #8995
- among boys today
- 4,514
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Len vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#8995
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 37% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Len was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
121 babies were named Len in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Len compares
4,514 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Len's all-time total is 12x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Len | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,514 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 121 | 23 | 22,252 |
Len's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Len's full recorded timeline at 1955, 54% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 46% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 2002, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1960 peak of 121 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Len at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1960
Current rank
#8,995
Active since
1880
Len popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 121
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Len popularity over time - girls
102 total births recorded since 1932 (Len as girls' name)
Len by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Len's strongest decade.
896 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Len births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 91
1880s
91 births
- 1890s 65
1890s
65 births
- 1900s 87
1900s
87 births
- 1910s 242
1910s
242 births
- 1920s 314
1920s
314 births
- 1930s
1930s
360 births
- 1940s
1940s
560 births
- 1950s
1950s
829 births
- 1960s
1960s
896 births
- 1970s
1970s
494 births
- 1980s 208
1980s
208 births
- 1990s 113
1990s
113 births
- 2000s 94
2000s
94 births
- 2010s 108
2010s
108 births
- 2020s 53
2020s
53 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 896 births (20% of all-time use).
How Len 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 Len's total volume
Len vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Len by state
Where Len concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 218 | 4.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 158 | 3.5% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 146 | 3.2% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 67 | 1.5% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 57 | 1.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 48 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 46 | 1.0% |
| #8 | Mississippi | | 38 | 0.8% |
California share of Len's total US births 4.8%
Even split
218 of 4,514 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Len appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Len? ▼
4,514 babies have been named Len since 1880. It currently ranks #8995 among boys. The peak year was 1960 with 121 births.
When was Len most popular? ▼
Len was most popular in the 1960s decade with 896 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Len most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Len are California (218 births), Texas (158 births), Illinois (146 births).
How long has the name Len been used? ▼
Len has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Len? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lennox, Lenard, Lenny, Lennon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Len's data
- Len's decade-level peak was the 1960s (896 total births); usage has since declined to 53 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Lens (218 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Len
Nearby Names Like Len
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Len
Lennox Boy
#264 14,330 births
Lenard Boy
#7772 9,997 births
Lenny Boy
#1372 8,299 births
Lennon Boy
#786 8,003 births
Lennie Boy
#10958 2,890 births
Compare Len side by side: Len vs Lennox Len vs Lenard Len vs Lenny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Len
Odie #8994
2,623 births · Peak 1918
Allison #8996
3,825 births · Peak 1917
Parley #8993
687 births · Peak 1918
Candido #8997
2,087 births · Peak 1996
Al #8992
17,079 births · Peak 1959
Arvid #8998
3,167 births · Peak 1916
Horatio #8991
1,443 births · Peak 2007
Humphrey #8999
1,085 births · Peak 1924
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. "Len: #8995 Boys' Name - 4,514 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/len. 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 Len 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.