Total births
14,073
Unisex name · since 1880
Lessie
Lessie has 14,073 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1916 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 14,073
- total births
- 1880–2023
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
Lessie is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 14,073 have been recorded since 1880.
Lessie has 14,073 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2023.
- 14,073 total births
- 1880–2023 years on record
- 1910s peak decade
- 22% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
14,073 girls have been named Lessie since 1880, peaking in the 1910s, last recorded in 2023.
- 14,073
- total births
- 1880–2023
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1910s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Lessie was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
382 babies were named Lessie in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
Lessie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Lessie splits its recorded history at 1943: 20% of all births land in the more recent half, 80% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1997 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1916 peak of 382 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Lessie at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
1916
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Lessie popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2023
- Peak year (1916)
- 382
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Lessie popularity over time - boys
945 total births recorded since 1883 (Lessie as boys' name)
Lessie by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Lessie's strongest decade.
3,028 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Lessie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 449
1880s
449 births
- 1890s 1,010
1890s
1,010 births
- 1900s
1900s
1,638 births
- 1910s
1910s
3,028 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,930 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,833 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,351 births
- 1950s 890
1950s
890 births
- 1960s 469
1960s
469 births
- 1970s 187
1970s
187 births
- 1980s 159
1980s
159 births
- 1990s 84
1990s
84 births
- 2000s 38
2000s
38 births
- 2020s 7
2020s
7 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 3,028 births (22% of all-time use).
How Lessie 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 Lessie's total volume
Lessie vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lessie by state
Where Lessie concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 1,570 | 11.2% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 1,224 | 8.7% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 1,075 | 7.6% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 1,020 | 7.2% |
| #5 | South Carolina | | 883 | 6.3% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 836 | 5.9% |
| #7 | Texas | | 793 | 5.6% |
| #8 | Florida | | 430 | 3.1% |
North Carolina share of Lessie's total US births 11.2%
Even split
1,570 of 14,073 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Lessie appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lessie? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 14,073 babies named Lessie. The most recent recorded year was 2023. Its busiest year on record was 1916, with 382 births.
When was Lessie most popular? ▼
Lessie was most popular in the 1910s decade with 3,028 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Lessie most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lessie are North Carolina (1,570 births), Georgia (1,224 births), Alabama (1,075 births).
Is Lessie a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Lessie is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 14,073 births, and as a boy's name it has 945 births.
How long has the name Lessie been used? ▼
Lessie has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 144 years of data through 2023.
What names are similar to Lessie? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Leslie, Lesley, Lesly, Lesa, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lessie's data
- Lessie's decade-level peak was the 1910s (3,028 total births); usage has since declined to 7 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Lessies (1,570 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Lessie
Nearby Names Like Lessie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lessie
Leslie Girl
#605 270,429 births
Lesley Girl
#4041 34,301 births
Lesly Girl
#1100 15,281 births
Lesa Girl
11,409 births
Lesli Girl
#5639 5,799 births
Compare Lessie side by side: Lessie vs Leslie Lessie vs Lesley Lessie vs Lesly
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1880–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lessie: Baby Name Since 1880 - 14,073 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lessie. 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 Lessie 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.