Leif - A very unique male name
Leif at a glance
Leif is ranked #932 among boy baby names in 2025, with 206 births in 2025. It peaked in 1979 at #675 and first appeared on the charts in 1915.
- Rank in 2025
- #932
- Births in 2025
- 206
- Peak year
- 1979 (#675)
- First appeared
- 1915
- Trend
- #906 in 2020 → #932 in 2025 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 7,118 boys
- Visitor rating
- 4.2/5 (10 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 7,118 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Leif peaked in popularity 47 years ago in 1979 on position 675.
Famous with this name
Leif Erickson
Leif Garrett
Leif
How would you rate Leif, 1-5?
Leif is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Leif is currently topping the baby name charts in Montana at position #264 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,671.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Leif is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Leif origin and meaning
Old Norse
From Old Norse leifr, 'heir, descendant'
Leif is the Norse name meaning heir or descendant, immortalised by Leif Erikson, who reached America five centuries before Columbus. It has been in US data since 1915, always at low levels, with a small recent peak in 2022 — Scandinavian heritage names are quietly fashionable. In Scandinavia it is pronounced closer to 'life', which surprises English speakers who say 'leaf'.
Attested etymology
Leif is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.
To see famous people named Leif, pop culture references for the name Leif and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Leif
We've found the following names that sound similar to Leif, sorted by popularity.
Levi / Lupe / Lev / Levy / Lipa / Leib / Liev / Luby / Lavi / Levie /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 932 |
| 2024 | 960 |
| 2023 | 871 |
| 2022 | 871 |
| 2021 | 1036 |
| 2020 | 906 |
| 2019 | 1016 |
| 2018 | 1079 |
| 2017 | 988 |
| 2016 | 994 |
| 2015 | 1134 |
| 2014 | 1034 |
| 2013 | 1006 |
| 2012 | 1156 |
| 2011 | 1095 |
| 2010 | 1143 |
| 2009 | 1170 |
| 2008 | 1330 |
| 2007 | 1387 |
| 2006 | 1323 |
| 2005 | 1139 |
| 2004 | 1328 |
| 2003 | 1265 |
| 2002 | 1444 |
| 2001 | 1246 |
| 2000 | 1254 |
| 1999 | 1314 |
| 1998 | 1555 |
| 1997 | 1438 |
| 1996 | 1336 |
| 1995 | 1402 |
| 1994 | 1372 |
| 1993 | 1598 |
| 1992 | 1552 |
| 1991 | 1164 |
| 1990 | 1421 |
| 1989 | 1699 |
| 1988 | 1037 |
| 1987 | 1062 |
| 1986 | 1016 |
| 1985 | 978 |
| 1984 | 856 |
| 1983 | 758 |
| 1982 | 700 |
| 1981 | 735 |
| 1980 | 720 |
| 1979 | 675 |
| 1978 | 830 |
| 1977 | 1077 |
| 1976 | 908 |
| 1975 | 767 |
| 1974 | 809 |
| 1973 | 858 |
| 1972 | 775 |
| 1971 | 786 |
| 1970 | 676 |
| 1969 | 714 |
| 1968 | 759 |
| 1967 | 793 |
| 1966 | 853 |
| 1965 | 808 |
| 1964 | 865 |
| 1963 | 848 |
| 1962 | 928 |
| 1961 | 841 |
| 1960 | 885 |
| 1959 | 1005 |
| 1958 | 999 |
| 1957 | 1042 |
| 1956 | 1280 |
| 1955 | 1496 |
| 1954 | 1368 |
| 1953 | 1049 |
| 1952 | 1274 |
| 1950 | 1173 |
| 1949 | 1320 |
| 1943 | 1348 |
| 1931 | 1694 |
| 1929 | 1755 |
| 1926 | 1842 |
| 1919 | 1212 |
| 1917 | 1715 |
| 1916 | 1679 |
| 1915 | 1230 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Montana | 264 |
| Utah | 364 |
| Washington | 436 |
| Idaho | 466 |
| Colorado | 487 |
| Wisconsin | 552 |
| Minnesota | 686 |
| Tennessee | 702 |
| South Carolina | 712 |
| Florida | 740 |
| Michigan | 751 |
| Arizona | 820 |
| Massachusetts | 854 |
| Pennsylvania | 974 |
| Virginia | 1038 |
| Texas | 1056 |
| California | 1181 |
| North Carolina | 1394 |
| Ohio | 1395 |
| Illinois | 1412 |
| Georgia | 1466 |
| New York | 1671 |
Even more about Leif
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Leif a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Leif?
1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
LEEF · /liːf/
Americans say LEEF; the Scandinavian pronunciation is closer to LAYF/LIFE — families split by heritage.
Around the world
- Leif (Norwegian) — Used as-is in Norway
- Leif (Swedish) — Used as-is in Sweden
- Leif (Danish) — Used as-is in Denmark
Famous bearers
- Leif Erikson — Norse explorer who led the Viking settlement in North America around the year 1000 (c. 970–c. 1020) Historical
Style
InternationalVintage revival
Why parents choose it
It offers Viking history in four letters — heritage, exploration, and a clean Scandinavian sound.
Worth knowing
- Leaf, Leif, and Life: the pronunciation genuinely splits, and the leaf joke writes itself.
