Leonard
Leonard was given to 438 boys in 2025, #637 among boys’ names; 295,746 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 116,000 Americans named Leonard and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (39% of everyone recorded); the median is 65 years old and half are between 49 and 75.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Leonard by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Leonard mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Leonard is “a male given name from the Germanic languages.” Its etymology gives the senses “lion” (leo) and “person” (liut) and “hard” (hart).
From Old French Leonard, name of a 6th century Frankish saint, from Old High German leo (“lion”) or Old High German liut (“person”) and hart (“hard”). As a surname, also used as an anglicisation of Irish Ó Leannáin (Lennon).
/ˈlɛnɚd/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Leonard?
#637 among boys’ names, 2025
Leonard rose from #651 in 2015 to #637 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 0.21 to 0.26 per 1,000.
5,675 babies in 1921, the peak
Leonard peaked in 1921, when 5,675 babies were given it (5,650 boys, #39 among boys’ names). The 438 births of 2025 are 8% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 438 | #637 | 0.26 |
| 2024 | 409 | #671 | 0.24 |
| 2023 | 384 | #693 | 0.22 |
| 2022 | 373 | #707 | 0.21 |
| 2021 | 421 | #650 | 0.24 |
| 2020 | 421 | #635 | 0.24 |
| 2019 | 443 | #616 | 0.25 |
| 2018 | 417 | #636 | 0.23 |
| 2017 | 437 | #605 | 0.24 |
| 2016 | 450 | #599 | 0.24 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 400 | #651 | 0.21 |
| 2014 | 385 | #666 | 0.20 |
| 2013 | 349 | #686 | 0.18 |
| 2012 | 338 | #703 | 0.18 |
| 2011 | 326 | #704 | 0.17 |
| 2010 | 388 | #626 | 0.20 |
| 2009 | 323 | #727 | 0.16 |
| 2008 | 400 | #620 | 0.20 |
| 2007 | 356 | #672 | 0.17 |
| 2006 | 384 | #619 | 0.19 |
| 2005 | 385 | #588 | 0.19 |
| 2004 | 385 | #579 | 0.19 |
| 2003 | 402 | #559 | 0.20 |
| 2002 | 396 | #563 | 0.20 |
| 2001 | 436 | #517 | 0.22 |
| 2000 | 451 | #508 | 0.23 |
| 1999 | 479 | #474 | 0.25 |
| 1998 | 471 | #471 | 0.25 |
| 1997 | 455 | #474 | 0.24 |
| 1996 | 547 | #415 | 0.29 |
| 1995 | 528 | #433 | 0.28 |
| 1994 | 644 | #369 | 0.33 |
| 1993 | 672 | #350 | 0.34 |
| 1992 | 775 | #327 | 0.39 |
| 1991 | 833 | #311 | 0.41 |
| 1990 | 863 | #293 | 0.42 |
| 1989 | 914 | #270 | 0.46 |
| 1988 | 908 | #258 | 0.47 |
| 1987 | 968 | #242 | 0.52 |
| 1986 | 901 | #249 | 0.49 |
| 1985 | 955 | #243 | 0.52 |
| 1984 | 1,054 | #217 | 0.58 |
| 1983 | 1,100 | #211 | 0.61 |
| 1982 | 1,199 | #205 | 0.66 |
| 1981 | 1,191 | #208 | 0.66 |
| 1980 | 1,277 | #193 | 0.72 |
| 1979 | 1,264 | #190 | 0.73 |
| 1978 | 1,313 | #178 | 0.80 |
| 1977 | 1,301 | #178 | 0.79 |
| 1976 | 1,311 | #177 | 0.84 |
| 1975 | 1,431 | #166 | 0.92 |
| 1974 | 1,468 | #164 | 0.93 |
| 1973 | 1,666 | #150 | 1.1 |
| 1972 | 1,718 | #151 | 1.1 |
| 1971 | 2,035 | #146 | 1.2 |
| 1970 | 2,298 | #144 | 1.2 |
| 1969 | 2,263 | #133 | 1.3 |
| 1968 | 2,257 | #128 | 1.3 |
| 1967 | 2,414 | #125 | 1.4 |
| 1966 | 2,457 | #125 | 1.4 |
| 1965 | 2,712 | #121 | 1.5 |
| 1964 | 3,069 | #115 | 1.5 |
| 1963 | 3,046 | #118 | 1.5 |
| 1962 | 3,155 | #117 | 1.5 |
| 1961 | 3,429 | #114 | 1.6 |
| 1960 | 3,639 | #113 | 1.7 |
| 1959 | 3,727 | #109 | 1.7 |
| 1958 | 4,021 | #102 | 1.9 |
| 1957 | 4,340 | #94 | 2.0 |
| 1956 | 4,371 | #89 | 2.1 |
| 1955 | 4,260 | #88 | 2.1 |
| 1954 | 4,482 | #85 | 2.2 |
| 1953 | 4,412 | #85 | 2.2 |
| 1952 | 4,619 | #83 | 2.4 |
| 1951 | 4,738 | #80 | 2.5 |
| 1950 | 4,581 | #77 | 2.6 |
| 1949 | 4,551 | #74 | 2.6 |
| 1948 | 4,781 | #71 | 2.7 |
| 1947 | 5,155 | #71 | 2.8 |
| 1946 | 4,704 | #67 | 2.9 |
| 1945 | 4,125 | #57 | 3.1 |
| 1944 | 4,183 | #56 | 3.1 |
| 1943 | 4,617 | #55 | 3.2 |
| 1942 | 4,370 | #57 | 3.2 |
| 1941 | 3,986 | #54 | 3.2 |
| 1940 | 3,817 | #54 | 3.3 |
| 1939 | 3,711 | #54 | 3.4 |
| 1938 | 3,670 | #57 | 3.3 |
| 1937 | 3,480 | #58 | 3.3 |
| 1936 | 3,716 | #54 | 3.6 |
| 1935 | 3,804 | #54 | 3.7 |
| 1934 | 3,836 | #53 | 3.7 |
| 1933 | 3,955 | #47 | 4.0 |
| 1932 | 4,101 | #48 | 3.9 |
| 1931 | 4,279 | #48 | 4.1 |
| 1930 | 4,662 | #45 | 4.2 |
| 1929 | 4,829 | #42 | 4.5 |
| 1928 | 5,131 | #42 | 4.6 |
| 1927 | 5,311 | #40 | 4.7 |
| 1926 | 5,402 | #38 | 4.9 |
| 1925 | 5,465 | #38 | 4.9 |
| 1924 | 5,601 | #38 | 4.9 |
| 1923 | 5,486 | #37 | 5.0 |
| 1922 | 5,407 | #38 | 5.0 |
| 1921 | 5,650 | #39 | 5.1 |
| 1920 | 5,511 | #38 | 5.2 |
| 1919 | 5,010 | #39 | 5.1 |
| 1918 | 4,980 | #41 | 4.9 |
| 1917 | 4,694 | #41 | 5.1 |
| 1916 | 4,328 | #42 | 4.9 |
| 1915 | 3,993 | #44 | 4.7 |
| 1914 | 2,923 | #45 | 4.5 |
| 1913 | 2,276 | #46 | 4.4 |
| 1912 | 1,928 | #45 | 4.5 |
| 1911 | 953 | #46 | 4.2 |
| 1910 | 793 | #46 | 4.1 |
| 1909 | 665 | #46 | 4.1 |
| 1908 | 614 | #48 | 4.0 |
| 1907 | 547 | #51 | 3.7 |
| 1906 | 492 | #50 | 3.7 |
| 1905 | 495 | #47 | 3.7 |
| 1904 | 508 | #46 | 4.0 |
| 1903 | 448 | #49 | 3.8 |
| 1902 | 426 | #52 | 3.5 |
| 1901 | 362 | #54 | 3.4 |
| 1900 | 465 | #54 | 3.1 |
| 1899 | 321 | #60 | 3.0 |
| 1898 | 421 | #53 | 3.4 |
| 1897 | 310 | #61 | 2.7 |
| 1896 | 350 | #60 | 2.9 |
| 1895 | 342 | #61 | 2.9 |
| 1894 | 343 | #60 | 3.0 |
| 1893 | 275 | #69 | 2.4 |
| 1892 | 294 | #71 | 2.4 |
| 1891 | 235 | #72 | 2.3 |
| 1890 | 275 | #67 | 2.5 |
| 1889 | 229 | #77 | 2.1 |
| 1888 | 225 | #83 | 1.9 |
| 1887 | 207 | #79 | 2.0 |
| 1886 | 236 | #74 | 2.1 |
| 1885 | 204 | #80 | 1.9 |
| 1884 | 206 | #83 | 1.8 |
| 1883 | 200 | #79 | 1.9 |
| 1882 | 231 | #77 | 2.0 |
| 1881 | 206 | #72 | 2.0 |
| 1880 | 200 | #78 | 1.8 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Leonard a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Leonard has been given almost only to boys: 1,412 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Leonard: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Leonard, and how old are they?
116,000 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 39% of the 295,746 Americans ever recorded as Leonard. The median Leonard alive today is 65 years old; half are between 49 and 75.
The 2020 Census counted 124,979 people named Leonard (229 women and girls, 124,750 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 135,302 born in the U.S. The Census count is 8% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 14,200 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 51,400 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 25,700 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 13,400 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 6,260 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 5,290 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Leonard born?
The states with the most babies named Leonard are New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois, with 26% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 32,425 | #568 | 1.3× |
| Pennsylvania | 22,301 | #499 | 1.1× |
| Illinois | 18,449 | #559 | 1.2× |
| California | 16,851 | #661 | 0.9× |
| Michigan | 13,787 | #506 | 1.2× |
| Texas | 12,763 | #1,058 | 0.7× |
| Ohio | 12,548 | #528 | 0.8× |
| New Jersey | 9,420 | #631 | 1.1× |
| Massachusetts | 9,023 | #593 | 1.0× |
| Wisconsin | 6,884 | #429 | 1.0× |
Where Leonard is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Leonard is most over-represented in New York: since 1910 it was given 1.3 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Leonard with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 310,375 babies since 1880, Leonard is the most given (95% of them). In 2025 it was given to 438 of their 448 babies (98%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Leonard
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Leonard and names like it
- Compare Leonard and LenardBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sLeonard peaked in 1921.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Leonard since 1910.
- Germanic namesWiktionary’s origin for Leonard: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1921The year the most babies were named Leonard.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Leonard alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with LMost given first.