Total births
270,429
Unisex name · since 1880
Leslie
Leslie has 270,429 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1957 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #605
- among girls today
- 270,429
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
270,429 babies have been named Leslie since 1880, making it today's #605 unisex name.
Leslie has 270,429 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #605 as of the latest data, more common than 97% of girls, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #605 among girls today
- 270,429 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Leslie is currently the #605 unisex name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 270,429 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #605
- among girls today
- 270,429
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Leslie vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#605
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Leslie was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
6,103 babies were named Leslie in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Leslie compares
270,429 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Leslie's all-time total is 708x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Leslie | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 270,429 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 6,103 | 48 | 19,840 |
Leslie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Leslie's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 90% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 10%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1883, with only 7 births recorded -- set against the 1957 peak of 6,103, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Leslie at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1957
Current rank
#605
Active since
1880
Leslie popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 6,103
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Leslie popularity over time - boys
112,989 total births recorded since 1880 (Leslie as boys' name)
Leslie by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Leslie's strongest decade.
54,453 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Leslie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 126
1880s
126 births
- 1890s 257
1890s
257 births
- 1900s 324
1900s
324 births
- 1910s 785
1910s
785 births
- 1920s 1,241
1920s
1,241 births
- 1930s 1,447
1930s
1,447 births
- 1940s 14,856
1940s
14,856 births
- 1950s
1950s
43,049 births
- 1960s
1960s
54,453 births
- 1970s
1970s
44,839 births
- 1980s
1980s
38,729 births
- 1990s
1990s
26,769 births
- 2000s
2000s
31,055 births
- 2010s 9,752
2010s
9,752 births
- 2020s 2,747
2020s
2,747 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 54,453 births (20% of all-time use).
How Leslie 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 Leslie's total volume
Leslie vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Leslie by state
Where Leslie concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 43,411 | 16.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 26,884 | 9.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 19,169 | 7.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 13,153 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 10,817 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 10,533 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Florida | | 8,048 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 7,932 | 2.9% |
California share of Leslie's total US births 16.1%
Even split
43,411 of 270,429 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Leslie appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Leslie? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 270,429 babies named Leslie. Today it holds rank #605 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1957, with 6,103 births.
When was Leslie most popular? ▼
Leslie was most popular in the 1960s decade with 54,453 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Leslie most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Leslie are California (43,411 births), Texas (26,884 births), New York (19,169 births).
Is Leslie a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Leslie is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 270,429 births, and as a boy's name it has 112,989 births.
How long has the name Leslie been used? ▼
Leslie has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Leslie? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lesley, Lesly, Lessie, Lesa, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Leslie's data
- Leslie's decade-level peak was the 1960s (54,453 total births); usage has since declined to 2,747 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Leslies (43,411 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 Leslie
Nearby Names Like Leslie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Leslie
Lesley Girl
#4041 34,301 births
Lesly Girl
#1100 15,281 births
Lessie Girl
14,073 births
Lesa Girl
11,409 births
Lesli Girl
#5639 5,799 births
Compare Leslie side by side: Leslie vs Lesley Leslie vs Lesly Leslie vs Lessie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Leslie
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. "Leslie: #605 Unisex Name - 270,429 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/leslie. 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 Leslie 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.