Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1985

Lean

Gender Unisex · 75% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists
Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
16
named Lean
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1985
27 babies
All-time total
892
#9,793 all-time among girls
First recorded
1916
in Social Security records

Lean popularity over time

892 babies have been named Lean since 1916, 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
0.010.010.020.0218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
GirlsBoys

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 5 6 11 1 – #4,802
1920s 18 33 51 5 +364% #3,731
1930s – 10 10 1 -80% –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s 33 – 33 3 – #4,664
1960s 93 – 93 9 +182% #3,567
1970s 102 – 102 10 +10% #4,150
1980s 194 – 194 19 +90% #3,294
1990s 71 – 71 7 -63% #7,809
2000s 61 18 79 8 +11% #9,315
2010s 76 86 162 16 +105% #7,378
2020s (to 2025) 18 68 86 14 -12% #12,898

The story of Lean

Lean is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1916, 892 American babies have been named Lean, about 75% girls and 25% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1985, when 27 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

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

How old are people named Lean?

The median living Lean is about 36 years old; half are between 13 and 47. An estimated 800 people named Lean are alive in the United States today.

median 36 020406080100

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

Lean 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 – – 16 #5,744
2024 – – 14 #6,352
2023 6 #14,414 9 #8,640
2022 5 #16,676 8 #9,496
2021 – – 14 #6,209
2020 7 #12,898 7 #10,175
2019 6 #14,814 14 #6,285
2018 – – – –
2017 10 #10,399 8 #9,362
2016 8 #12,393 8 #9,352
2015 7 #13,847 14 #6,168
2014 6 #15,724 16 #5,617
2013 9 #11,547 8 #9,308
2012 7 #14,365 10 #7,900
2011 6 #15,934 8 #9,270
2010 17 #7,378 – –
2009 7 #14,573 7 #10,551
2008 8 #13,280 6 #11,971
2007 13 #9,315 – –
2006 8 #13,070 – –
2005 – – – –
2004 9 #11,230 – –
2003 5 #17,239 – –
2002 5 #16,987 5 #11,752
2001 – – – –
2000 6 #14,197 – –
1995 7 #11,210 – –
1990 10 #8,240 – –
1985 27 #3,294 – –
1980 17 #4,427 – –
1975 6 #8,564 – –
1970 14 #4,150 – –
1965 8 #5,080 – –
1960 8 #4,979 – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – 5 #4,310
1925 – – 5 #4,604
1920 – – 5 #4,669
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Lean?

The median living Lean is about 36 years old. Half of all living Leans are between 13 and 47 years old.

How many people named Lean are alive today?

An estimated 800 people named Lean are alive in the United States, based on 892 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Lean in 2025?

Lean did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Lean?

892 babies have been named Lean in the United States since 1916, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Lean most popular?

Lean peaked in 1985, when 27 newborns received the name.

Is Lean a boy or girl name?

Lean is used for both: about 75% of babies named Lean have been girls and 25% boys.

Is the name Lean rising or falling?

Lean is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Names like Lean

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

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