Total births
34,301
Unisex name · since 1893
Lesley
Since 1893, U.S. Social Security records show 34,301 babies named Lesley, peaking in 1980. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4041
- among girls today
- 34,301
- born since 1893
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lesley is the #4041 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 34,301 recorded since 1893.
Social Security Administration records show Lesley recorded 34,301 times among girls since 1893, holding rank #4041 nationally today, ahead of 77% of girls, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1893 to 2025.
- #4041 among girls today
- 34,301 born since 1893
- 1970s peak decade
- 77% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lesley is currently the #4041 unisex name in America, more common than 77% of girls - 34,301 born since 1893, peaking in the 1970s.
- #4041
- among girls today
- 34,301
- born since 1893
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other girls
Lesley vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4041
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 77% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Lesley was born in this single decade.
1980
Single peak year
928 babies were named Lesley in 1980 - its busiest year on record.
How Lesley compares
34,301 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Lesley's all-time total is 90x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lesley | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 34,301 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 928 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lesley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lesley's full recorded timeline at 1968, 75% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 25% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1893, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1980 peak of 928 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lesley at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1980
Current rank
#4,041
Active since
1893
Lesley popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1893–2025
- Peak year (1980)
- 928
- Annual births at peak, across 133 years of records
Lesley popularity over time - boys
4,797 total births recorded since 1882 (Lesley as boys' name)
Lesley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Lesley's strongest decade.
7,719 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Lesley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1910s 65
1910s
65 births
- 1920s 112
1920s
112 births
- 1930s 219
1930s
219 births
- 1940s 1,423
1940s
1,423 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,125 births
- 1960s
1960s
5,137 births
- 1970s
1970s
7,719 births
- 1980s
1980s
6,402 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,638 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,124 births
- 2010s 1,095
2010s
1,095 births
- 2020s 237
2020s
237 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 7,719 births (23% of all-time use).
How Lesley 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 Lesley's total volume
Lesley vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lesley by state
Where Lesley concentrates geographically, total births since 1893
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5,057 | 14.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 3,177 | 9.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 2,510 | 7.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,635 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 1,367 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 1,115 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 1,071 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Florida | | 993 | 2.9% |
California share of Lesley's total US births 14.7%
Even split
5,057 of 34,301 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Lesley appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lesley? ▼
Since 1893, Social Security records show 34,301 babies named Lesley. Today it holds rank #4041 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1980, with 928 births.
When was Lesley most popular? ▼
Lesley was most popular in the 1970s decade with 7,719 total births. The single peak year was 1980.
Where is Lesley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lesley are California (5,057 births), Texas (3,177 births), New York (2,510 births).
Is Lesley a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Lesley is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 34,301 births, and as a boy's name it has 4,797 births.
How long has the name Lesley been used? ▼
Lesley has been recorded in Social Security data since 1893, spanning 133 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Lesley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Leslie, Lesly, Lessie, Lesa, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lesley's data
- Lesley's decade-level peak was the 1970s (7,719 total births); usage has since declined to 237 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Lesleys (5,057 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 Lesley
Nearby Names Like Lesley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lesley
Leslie Girl
#605 270,429 births
Lesly Girl
#1100 15,281 births
Lessie Girl
14,073 births
Lesa Girl
11,409 births
Lesli Girl
#5639 5,799 births
Compare Lesley side by side: Lesley vs Leslie Lesley vs Lesly Lesley vs Lessie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lesley
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, 1893–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lesley: #4041 Unisex Name - 34,301 Births, Peak 1980." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lesley. 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 Lesley 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.