Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1972

Lanier

Gender Unisex · 13% girls Rank 2025 #13,122
Rank 2025
#13,122
among boys · ↓5,041 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
16
named Lanier
How common
1 in 341,615
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1972
24 babies
All-time total
1,217
#4,933 all-time among boys
First recorded
1914
in Social Security records

Lanier popularity over time

1,217 babies have been named Lanier since 1914, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.010.020.0218801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 35 35 4 – #2,550
1920s 11 113 124 12 +254% #1,908
1930s – 90 90 9 -27% #1,877
1940s – 130 130 13 +44% #1,788
1950s 10 114 124 12 -5% #1,783
1960s 6 105 111 11 -10% #2,153
1970s 5 117 122 12 +10% #2,125
1980s 12 103 115 12 -6% #2,892
1990s 16 85 101 10 -12% #5,066
2000s 15 53 68 7 -33% #7,511
2010s 43 70 113 11 +66% #6,843
2020s (to 2025) 36 48 84 14 +24% #7,394

The story of Lanier

Lanier is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #13,122 in 2025 with 5 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1914, 1,217 American babies have been named Lanier, about 87% boys and 13% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1972, when 24 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

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 Lanier stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Lanier?

The median living Lanier is about 41 years old; half are between 18 and 61. An estimated 900 people named Lanier are alive in the United States today.

median 41 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Lanier 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 11 #9,205 5 #13,122
2024 6 #14,471 10 #8,081
2023 7 #12,873 8 #9,418
2022 – – 9 #8,703
2021 7 #12,919 11 #7,394
2020 5 #16,474 5 #13,260
2019 – – 9 #8,600
2018 – – – –
2017 7 #13,495 8 #9,357
2016 9 #11,381 5 #13,392
2015 9 #11,452 5 #13,221
2014 5 #18,031 7 #10,275
2013 7 #13,996 7 #10,289
2012 – – 8 #9,365
2011 6 #15,912 12 #6,843
2010 – – 9 #8,515
2009 – – 11 #7,511
2008 – – – –
2007 – – 8 #9,401
2006 – – 10 #7,773
2005 7 #13,825 8 #8,775
2004 8 #12,260 5 #12,443
2003 – – – –
2002 – – – –
2001 – – 5 #11,611
2000 – – 6 #9,812
1995 – – 7 #7,460
1990 – – 8 #6,171
1985 – – 9 #4,542
1980 – – 9 #4,349
1975 – – 6 #5,159
1970 – – 8 #3,694
1965 – – 14 #2,223
1960 – – 11 #2,618
1955 – – 13 #2,266
1950 – – 9 #2,682
1945 – – 12 #2,074
1940 – – 12 #2,134
1935 – – 11 #2,332
1930 – – 6 #3,820
1925 – – 13 #2,374
1920 – – 14 #2,288
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Lanier, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Lanier?

The median living Lanier is about 41 years old. Half of all living Laniers are between 18 and 61 years old.

How many people named Lanier are alive today?

An estimated 900 people named Lanier are alive in the United States, based on 1,217 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Lanier in 2025?

Lanier ranked #13,122 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 5 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Lanier?

1,217 babies have been named Lanier in the United States since 1914, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Lanier most popular?

Lanier peaked in 1972, when 24 newborns received the name.

Is Lanier a boy or girl name?

Lanier is used for both: about 13% of babies named Lanier have been girls and 87% boys.

Is the name Lanier rising or falling?

Lanier is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Names like Lanier

Names that sound and feel close to Lanier: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Lanier with similar names → More names starting with L →