Total births
294,334
Boys' name · since 1880
Leonard
294,334 babies named Leonard 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.
- #670
- among boys today
- 294,334
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Leonard is the #670 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 294,334 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Leonard recorded 294,334 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #670 nationally today, ahead of 95% 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.
- #670 among boys today
- 294,334 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Leonard is currently the #670 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 294,334 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #670
- among boys today
- 294,334
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Leonard vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#670
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Leonard was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
5,650 babies were named Leonard in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Leonard compares
294,334 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
Leonard's all-time total is 802x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Leonard | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 294,334 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,650 | 23 | 22,252 |
Leonard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Leonard's full recorded timeline at 1953, 34% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 66% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 200 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 5,650 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Leonard at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1921
Current rank
#670
Active since
1880
Leonard popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 5,650
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Leonard popularity over time - girls
1,412 total births recorded since 1892 (Leonard as girls' name)
Leonard by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Leonard's strongest decade.
53,793 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Leonard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 2,144
1880s
2,144 births
- 1890s 3,166
1890s
3,166 births
- 1900s 5,022
1900s
5,022 births
- 1910s
1910s
31,878 births
- 1920s
1920s
53,793 births
- 1930s
1930s
39,214 births
- 1940s
1940s
44,289 births
- 1950s
1950s
43,551 births
- 1960s
1960s
28,441 births
- 1970s 15,805
1970s
15,805 births
- 1980s 10,467
1980s
10,467 births
- 1990s 6,267
1990s
6,267 births
- 2000s 3,918
2000s
3,918 births
- 2010s 3,933
2010s
3,933 births
- 2020s 2,446
2020s
2,446 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 53,793 births (18% of all-time use).
How Leonard 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 Leonard's total volume
Leonard vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Leonard by state
Where Leonard concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 32,384 | 11.0% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 22,301 | 7.6% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 18,449 | 6.3% |
| #4 | California | | 16,851 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 13,782 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Texas | | 12,758 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 12,543 | 4.3% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 9,420 | 3.2% |
New York share of Leonard's total US births 11.0%
Even split
32,384 of 294,334 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Leonard appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Leonard? ▼
Leonard has been given to 294,334 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #670 as of the latest data. 5,650 babies were born in 1921, its single highest year.
When was Leonard most popular? ▼
Leonard was most popular in the 1920s decade with 53,793 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Leonard most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Leonard are New York (32,384 births), Pennsylvania (22,301 births), Illinois (18,449 births).
How long has the name Leonard been used? ▼
Records for Leonard go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Leonard? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Leo, Leon, Leonardo, Leonel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Leonard's data
- Leonard's decade-level peak was the 1920s (53,793 total births); usage has since declined to 2,446 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Leonards (32,384 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 Leonard
Nearby Names Like Leonard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Leonard
Leo Boy
#24 259,988 births
Leon Boy
#141 182,638 births
Leonardo Boy
#84 96,066 births
Leonel Boy
#317 27,067 births
Leonidas Boy
#510 10,281 births
Compare Leonard side by side: Leonard vs Leo Leonard vs Leon Leonard vs Leonardo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Leonard
Riggs #669
2,986 births · Peak 2024
Marvin #671
254,192 births · Peak 1928
Ahmad #668
20,348 births · Peak 2001
Cal #672
7,858 births · Peak 2025
Braylen #667
13,251 births · Peak 2011
Donald #673
1,414,824 births · Peak 1934
Harlan #666
26,481 births · Peak 1924
Nathanael #674
22,227 births · Peak 2000
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. "Leonard: #670 Boys' Name - 294,334 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/leonard. 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 Leonard 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.