Total births
22,968
Girls' name · since 1880
Lenore
Lenore has 22,968 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1926 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2011
- among girls today
- 22,968
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lenore is the #2011 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 22,968 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Lenore recorded 22,968 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #2011 nationally today, ahead of 89% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2011 among girls today
- 22,968 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 89% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lenore is currently the #2011 girls' name in America, more common than 89% of girls - 22,968 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2011
- among girls today
- 22,968
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Lenore vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2011
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 89% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Lenore was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
460 babies were named Lenore in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
How Lenore compares
22,968 Top 5% higher than 95% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Lenore's all-time total is 60x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lenore | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 22,968 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 460 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lenore's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lenore's full recorded timeline at 1953, 28% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 72% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1992, with just 9 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1926 peak of 460 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lenore at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1926
Current rank
#2,011
Active since
1880
Lenore popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1926)
- 460
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lenore popularity over time - boys
6 total births recorded since 1929 (Lenore as boys' name)
Lenore by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Lenore's strongest decade.
4,254 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Lenore births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 218
1880s
218 births
- 1890s 544
1890s
544 births
- 1900s 937
1900s
937 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,778 births
- 1920s
1920s
4,254 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,602 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,266 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,775 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,927 births
- 1970s 1,030
1970s
1,030 births
- 1980s 352
1980s
352 births
- 1990s 157
1990s
157 births
- 2000s 161
2000s
161 births
- 2010s 511
2010s
511 births
- 2020s 456
2020s
456 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 4,254 births (19% of all-time use).
How Lenore compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Lenore's total volume
Lenore vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lenore by state
Where Lenore concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 4,277 | 18.6% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 1,812 | 7.9% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 1,557 | 6.8% |
| #4 | California | | 1,308 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 1,216 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 1,210 | 5.3% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 1,028 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 735 | 3.2% |
New York share of Lenore's total US births 18.6%
Even split
4,277 of 22,968 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Lenore appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lenore? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 22,968 babies named Lenore. Today it holds rank #2011 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1926, with 460 births.
When was Lenore most popular? ▼
Lenore was most popular in the 1920s decade with 4,254 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
Where is Lenore most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lenore are New York (4,277 births), Illinois (1,812 births), Pennsylvania (1,557 births).
How long has the name Lenore been used? ▼
Lenore has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Lenore? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lena, Lenora, Lennon, Lennox, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lenore's data
- Lenore's decade-level peak was the 1920s (4,254 total births); usage has since declined to 456 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Lenores (4,277 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Lenore
Nearby Names Like Lenore
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lenore
Lena Girl
#262 146,479 births
Lenora Girl
#715 37,058 births
Lennon Girl
#235 12,576 births
Lennox Girl
#688 5,409 births
Lennie Girl
#3120 4,835 births
Compare Lenore side by side: Lenore vs Lena Lenore vs Lenora Lenore vs Lennon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lenore
Dalett #2010
682 births · Peak 2021
Gina #2012
153,057 births · Peak 1967
Esmae #2009
1,527 births · Peak 2022
Sheila #2013
238,774 births · Peak 1962
Bowie #2008
1,285 births · Peak 2021
Evelin #2014
7,425 births · Peak 2006
Eliany #2007
985 births · Peak 2025
Nicolette #2015
17,129 births · Peak 1994
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. "Lenore: #2011 Girls' Name - 22,968 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lenore. 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 Lenore 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.