Leonard - A very unique male name
Leonard at a glance
Leonard is ranked #633 among boy baby names in 2025, with 403 births in 2025. It peaked in 1923 at #37 and first appeared on the charts in 1910.
- Rank in 2025
- #633
- Births in 2025
- 403
- Peak year
- 1923 (#37)
- First appeared
- 1910
- Trend
- #638 in 2020 → #633 in 2025 (Rising)
- Popularity
- 1 in 3,638 boys
- Visitor rating
- 4.3/5 (6 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 3,638 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Leonard peaked in popularity 103 years ago in 1923 on position 37.
Famous with this name
Leonard Nimoy
Robert Sean Leonard
Leonard Whiting
How would you rate Leonard, 1-5?
Leonard is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Leonard is currently topping the baby name charts in Montana at position #188 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #1,058.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 Leonard is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Leonard origin and meaning
Germanic
'Brave lion' — from levon, 'lion', and hard, 'brave, hardy'
Leonard is the Germanic 'lion-brave' name carried across Europe by Saint Leonard of Noblac. It was an American heavyweight in the early 20th century, peaking in 1921, faded for decades, and is now edging upward again with the other grandpa classics.
Attested etymology
Leonard is a 7 letter name with 3 syllables.
To see famous people named Leonard, pop culture references for the name Leonard and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Leonard
We've found the following names that sound similar to Leonard, sorted by popularity.
Leonardo / Lenard / Lenord / Lennart / Lennard / Lionardo / Lenward / Lenoard / Linward /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 | 633 |
| 2024 | 687 |
| 2023 | 707 |
| 2022 | 715 |
| 2021 | 659 |
| 2020 | 638 |
| 2019 | 626 |
| 2018 | 644 |
| 2017 | 616 |
| 2016 | 609 |
| 2015 | 668 |
| 2014 | 687 |
| 2013 | 702 |
| 2012 | 707 |
| 2011 | 726 |
| 2010 | 631 |
| 2009 | 718 |
| 2008 | 618 |
| 2007 | 672 |
| 2006 | 623 |
| 2005 | 597 |
| 2004 | 589 |
| 2003 | 572 |
| 2002 | 569 |
| 2001 | 521 |
| 2000 | 503 |
| 1999 | 480 |
| 1998 | 470 |
| 1997 | 472 |
| 1996 | 417 |
| 1995 | 428 |
| 1994 | 373 |
| 1993 | 353 |
| 1992 | 333 |
| 1991 | 307 |
| 1990 | 302 |
| 1989 | 270 |
| 1988 | 262 |
| 1987 | 242 |
| 1986 | 246 |
| 1985 | 241 |
| 1984 | 214 |
| 1983 | 211 |
| 1982 | 204 |
| 1981 | 208 |
| 1980 | 194 |
| 1979 | 192 |
| 1978 | 178 |
| 1977 | 179 |
| 1976 | 177 |
| 1975 | 166 |
| 1974 | 164 |
| 1973 | 150 |
| 1972 | 151 |
| 1971 | 146 |
| 1970 | 143 |
| 1969 | 133 |
| 1968 | 128 |
| 1967 | 125 |
| 1966 | 125 |
| 1965 | 120 |
| 1964 | 113 |
| 1963 | 118 |
| 1962 | 117 |
| 1961 | 114 |
| 1960 | 113 |
| 1959 | 109 |
| 1958 | 103 |
| 1957 | 94 |
| 1956 | 89 |
| 1955 | 88 |
| 1954 | 85 |
| 1953 | 85 |
| 1952 | 82 |
| 1951 | 80 |
| 1950 | 77 |
| 1949 | 74 |
| 1948 | 71 |
| 1947 | 70 |
| 1946 | 67 |
| 1945 | 57 |
| 1944 | 56 |
| 1943 | 55 |
| 1942 | 57 |
| 1941 | 54 |
| 1940 | 54 |
| 1939 | 54 |
| 1938 | 57 |
| 1937 | 58 |
| 1936 | 54 |
| 1935 | 54 |
| 1934 | 52 |
| 1933 | 47 |
| 1932 | 48 |
| 1931 | 48 |
| 1930 | 45 |
| 1929 | 42 |
| 1928 | 42 |
| 1927 | 40 |
| 1926 | 38 |
| 1925 | 38 |
| 1924 | 38 |
| 1923 | 37 |
| 1922 | 38 |
| 1921 | 39 |
| 1920 | 38 |
| 1919 | 39 |
| 1918 | 41 |
| 1917 | 41 |
| 1916 | 42 |
| 1915 | 44 |
| 1914 | 45 |
| 1913 | 46 |
| 1912 | 45 |
| 1911 | 46 |
| 1910 | 46 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Montana | 188 |
| South Dakota | 246 |
| Minnesota | 282 |
| Kansas | 371 |
| New Mexico | 403 |
| Oregon | 423 |
| Wisconsin | 429 |
| Pennsylvania | 499 |
| Michigan | 506 |
| Washington | 520 |
| Ohio | 528 |
| Connecticut | 540 |
| Maryland | 543 |
| Kentucky | 555 |
| Colorado | 557 |
| Illinois | 559 |
| New York | 568 |
| Massachusetts | 593 |
| New Jersey | 631 |
| Florida | 657 |
| Alabama | 661 |
| California | 661 |
| Utah | 669 |
| Georgia | 739 |
| Indiana | 750 |
| Missouri | 760 |
| Oklahoma | 762 |
| Virginia | 770 |
| Arizona | 897 |
| North Carolina | 911 |
| Tennessee | 997 |
| Texas | 1058 |
Even more about Leonard
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 Leonard 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 Leonard?
3 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
LEN-erd · /ˈlɛnərd/
The data lists three syllables; Leonard is almost always spoken with two, LEN-erd.
Around the world
- Leonardo (Italian and Spanish) — The Romance form of the same name.
- Léonard (French) — The French form of the same name.
- Leonhard (German) — The original German form.
Spellings and nicknames
- Leonhard — The German original spelling.
- Lennard — A related simplified form.
Nicknames: LeoLenLenny
Famous bearers
- Leonard Cohen — Canadian singer-songwriter, writer of 'Hallelujah' (1934–2016) Contemporary
- Leonard Nimoy — Actor who played Spock in Star Trek (1931–2015) Contemporary
Style
ClassicInternational
Why parents choose it
Parents are reviving Leonard for its substance — a poet's and a Vulcan's name with Leo built in as the modern short form.
Worth knowing
- The full form still reads grandfatherly to many, and Len and Lenny feel firmly mid-century.
