Boys' name · since 1880
Lionel
33,789 babies named Lionel in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2023. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #630 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #659 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 33,789
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Lionel currently ranks #659 among boys' names in America, with 33,789 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lionel has been recorded 33,789 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #659 nationally and more common than 95% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #630 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #659 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 33,789 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lionel ranks #630 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #659 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 33,789 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #630 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #659 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 33,789
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Lionel's 33,789 recorded births place it above 98.61% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
44 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Louisiana.
How Lionel compares
33,789 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Lionel's all-time total is 92x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lionel | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 33,789 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 609 | 34 | 22,252 |
Lionel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lionel's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 64% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 36%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1882, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2023 peak of 609, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lionel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 609
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lionel popularity over time - girls
44 total births recorded since 1921 (Lionel as girls' name)
Lionel by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (3,674 births, 11% of the file).
2010s was Lionel's strongest decade.
3,674 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 11% of all-time use.
Lionel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 73
1880s
73 births
- 1890s 176
1890s
176 births
- 1900s 261
1900s
261 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,726 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,046 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,915 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,067 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,632 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,466 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,426 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,368 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,704 births
- 2000s 1,440
2000s
1,440 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,674 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,815 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 3,674 births (11% of all-time use).
How Lionel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Lionel's total volume
Lionel by state
Where Lionel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Louisiana | | 4,442 | 13.1% |
| #2 | California | | 3,687 | 10.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 3,561 | 10.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 2,710 | 8.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 1,552 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 1,177 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 1,018 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 781 | 2.3% |
4,442 of 33,789 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.
Lionel appears in 44 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lionel? ▼
Where does Lionel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Lionel most popular? ▼
Where is Lionel most popular? ▼
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What to do with Lionel's data
- Lionel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (3,674 total births) through the 2020s (2,815) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Louisiana records the most Lionels (4,442 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Louisiana names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lionel
Nearby Names Like Lionel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lionel
Compare Lionel side by side: Lionel vs Lionell Lionel vs Lior Lionel vs Lion
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lionel
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Lionel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2023)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Lionel 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.