Total births
182,638
Boys' name · since 1880
Leon
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 182,638 babies named Leon, peaking in 1924. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #141
- among boys today
- 182,638
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.0%
- more common than other boys
Leon currently ranks #141 among boys' names in America, with 182,638 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Leon recorded 182,638 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #141 nationally today, ahead of 99.0% of boys, 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.
- #141 among boys today
- 182,638 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 99.0% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Leon is currently the #141 boys' name in America, more common than 99.0% of boys - 182,638 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #141
- among boys today
- 182,638
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.0%
- more common than other boys
Leon vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#141
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.0% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Leon was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
2,677 babies were named Leon in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
How Leon compares
182,638 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
Leon's all-time total is 498x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Leon | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 182,638 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,677 | 23 | 22,252 |
Leon's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Leon's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 45% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 55%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 118 births recorded -- set against the 1924 peak of 2,677, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Leon at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1924
Current rank
#141
Active since
1880
Leon popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 2,677
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Leon popularity over time - girls
1,436 total births recorded since 1891 (Leon as girls' name)
Leon by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Leon's strongest decade.
25,577 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Leon births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,475
1880s
1,475 births
- 1890s 2,103
1890s
2,103 births
- 1900s 2,859
1900s
2,859 births
- 1910s
1910s
15,280 births
- 1920s
1920s
25,577 births
- 1930s
1930s
23,005 births
- 1940s
1940s
23,578 births
- 1950s
1950s
21,341 births
- 1960s
1960s
13,823 births
- 1970s 9,854
1970s
9,854 births
- 1980s 7,627
1980s
7,627 births
- 1990s 5,176
1990s
5,176 births
- 2000s 5,062
2000s
5,062 births
- 2010s
2010s
11,768 births
- 2020s
2020s
14,110 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 25,577 births (14% of all-time use).
How Leon 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 Leon's total volume
Leon vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Leon by state
Where Leon concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 15,258 | 8.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 11,479 | 6.3% |
| #3 | California | | 11,110 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 10,306 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 7,320 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 6,730 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 6,575 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Florida | | 6,323 | 3.5% |
New York share of Leon's total US births 8.4%
Even split
15,258 of 182,638 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Leon appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Leon? ▼
Leon has been given to 182,638 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #141 as of the latest data. 2,677 babies were born in 1924, its single highest year.
When was Leon most popular? ▼
Leon was most popular in the 1920s decade with 25,577 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Leon most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Leon are New York (15,258 births), Texas (11,479 births), California (11,110 births).
How long has the name Leon been used? ▼
Records for Leon go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Leon? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Leonard, Leo, Leonardo, Leonel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Leon's data
- Leon's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (25,577 total births) through the 2020s (14,110) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Leons (15,258 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 Leon
Nearby Names Like Leon
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Leon
Leonard Boy
#670 294,334 births
Leo Boy
#24 259,988 births
Leonardo Boy
#84 96,066 births
Leonel Boy
#317 27,067 births
Leonidas Boy
#510 10,281 births
Compare Leon side by side: Leon vs Leonard Leon vs Leo Leon vs Leonardo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Leon
Calvin #140
221,064 births · Peak 1924
Dean #142
192,930 births · Peak 1961
Dawson #139
52,802 births · Peak 1999
Evan #143
287,701 births · Peak 2007
Matteo #138
33,483 births · Peak 2024
Nathaniel #144
287,103 births · Peak 2002
Juan #137
365,606 births · Peak 2005
Diego #145
126,160 births · Peak 2006
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. "Leon: #141 Boys' Name - 182,638 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/leon. 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 Leon 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.