Leonard
From Old French Leonard, name of a 6th century Frankish saint, from Old High German leo (“lion”) or Old High German liut (“person”) and hart (“hard”).
Every Leonard since 1880 — 295,746 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Leonard
Leonard is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #637 in 2025 with 438 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 295,746 American babies have been named Leonard. Its peak came in 1921, when 5,675 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Leonard stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Leonard year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 438 | #637 |
| 2024 | — | — | 409 | #671 |
| 2023 | — | — | 384 | #693 |
| 2022 | — | — | 373 | #707 |
| 2021 | — | — | 421 | #650 |
| 2020 | — | — | 421 | #635 |
| 2019 | — | — | 443 | #616 |
| 2018 | — | — | 417 | #636 |
| 2017 | — | — | 437 | #605 |
| 2016 | — | — | 450 | #599 |
| 2015 | — | — | 400 | #651 |
| 2014 | — | — | 385 | #666 |
| 2013 | — | — | 349 | #686 |
| 2012 | — | — | 338 | #703 |
| 2011 | — | — | 326 | #704 |
| 2010 | — | — | 388 | #626 |
| 2009 | — | — | 323 | #727 |
| 2008 | — | — | 400 | #620 |
| 2007 | — | — | 356 | #672 |
| 2006 | — | — | 384 | #619 |
| 2005 | — | — | 385 | #588 |
| 2004 | — | — | 385 | #579 |
| 2003 | — | — | 402 | #559 |
| 2002 | — | — | 396 | #563 |
| 2001 | — | — | 436 | #517 |
| 2000 | — | — | 451 | #508 |
| 1995 | — | — | 528 | #433 |
| 1990 | — | — | 863 | #293 |
| 1985 | 12 | #5,874 | 955 | #243 |
| 1980 | 13 | #5,410 | 1,277 | #193 |
| 1975 | 23 | #3,110 | 1,431 | #166 |
| 1970 | 7 | #6,725 | 2,298 | #144 |
| 1965 | 10 | #4,362 | 2,712 | #121 |
| 1960 | 19 | #2,868 | 3,639 | #113 |
| 1955 | 13 | #3,307 | 4,260 | #88 |
| 1950 | 19 | #2,302 | 4,581 | #77 |
| 1945 | 6 | #4,305 | 4,125 | #57 |
| 1940 | 28 | #1,454 | 3,817 | #54 |
| 1935 | 22 | #1,632 | 3,804 | #54 |
| 1930 | 31 | #1,390 | 4,662 | #45 |
| 1925 | 35 | #1,359 | 5,465 | #38 |
| 1920 | 32 | #1,424 | 5,511 | #38 |
| 1915 | 11 | #2,622 | 3,993 | #44 |
| 1910 | 10 | #1,577 | 793 | #46 |
| 1905 | — | — | 495 | #47 |
| 1900 | — | — | 465 | #54 |
| 1895 | — | — | 342 | #61 |
| 1890 | — | — | 275 | #67 |
| 1885 | — | — | 204 | #80 |
| 1880 | — | — | 200 | #78 |
Famous people named Leonard
- Leonard Cohen Musician · 1934–2016
- Leonard Bernstein Composer · 1918–1990
- Leonard Nimoy Actor · 1931–2015
- Leonard of Noblac Religious figure · 496–545
- Leonard Kleinrock Computer scientist · b. 1934
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Leonard mean?
From Old French Leonard, name of a 6th century Frankish saint, from Old High German leo (“lion”) or Old High German liut (“person”) and hart (“hard”).
How popular is the name Leonard in 2025?
Leonard ranked #637 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 438 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Leonard?
295,746 babies have been named Leonard in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Leonard most popular?
Leonard peaked in 1921, when 5,675 newborns received the name.
Is Leonard a boy or girl name?
Leonard is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Leonard rising or falling?
Leonard is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Leonard?
Well-known people named Leonard include Leonard Cohen (musician), Leonard Bernstein (composer), Leonard Nimoy (actor).