Boys' name · since 1922
Lion
Since 1922, U.S. Social Security records show 448 babies named Lion, peaking in 2022. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8,426 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,194 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 448
- born since 1922
- 2020s
- peak decade
448 babies have been named Lion since 1922, making it today's #3194 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Lion recorded 448 times among boys since 1922, holding rank #3194 nationally today, ahead of 77% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1922 to 2025.
- #8,426 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,194 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 448 born since 1922
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lion ranks #8,426 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,194 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 448 born since 1922, peaking in the 2020s.
- #8,426 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,194 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 448
- born since 1922
- 2020s
- peak decade
Lion's 448 recorded births place it above 81.46% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Lion compares
448 Top 46% higher than 54% of 13,930 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
Lion's all-time total is 21% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lion | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 448 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 43 | 34 | 22,252 |
Lion's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lion's SSA record in two at 2013 and the more recent half accounts for 81% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 19%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1995, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2022 peak of 43, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lion popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1922–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 43
- Annual births at peak, across 104 years of records
Lion by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (199 births, 44% of the file).
2020s was Lion's strongest decade.
199 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Lion births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 6
1920s
6 births
- 1990s 23
1990s
23 births
- 2000s 32
2000s
32 births
- 2010s
2010s
188 births
- 2020s
2020s
199 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 199 births (44% of all-time use).
Lion by state
Where Lion concentrates geographically, total births since 1922
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 34 | 7.6% |
| #2 | Florida | | 20 | 4.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 16 | 3.6% |
| #4 | Texas | | 10 | 2.2% |
34 of 448 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lion? ▼
Where does Lion sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Lion most popular? ▼
Where is Lion most popular? ▼
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What to do with Lion's data
- California records the most Lions (34 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lion
Nearby Names Like Lion
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lion
Compare Lion side by side: Lion vs Lionel Lion vs Lionell Lion vs Lior
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lion
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Lion: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2022)
Similar record span (~103 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1922–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Lion 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 August 2026.