Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Leander

Meaning people Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,463 Trend ↑ Rising 42%

From Latin Leander, from Ancient Greek Λέανδρος (Léandros), from λεώς (leṓs) (Attic form of λᾱός (lāós, “people”)) + ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”) + -ος (-os).

Rank 2025
#1,463
among boys · ↑295 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
122
named Leander · +30% vs 2024
How common
1 in 14,001
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
122 babies
All-time total
6,956
#1,469 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Leander popularity over time

6,956 babies have been named Leander since 1880, 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
0.080.150.230.318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 168 168 17 – #326
1890s – 121 121 12 -28% #409
1900s – 135 135 14 +12% #532
1910s 5 583 588 59 +336% #595
1920s – 800 800 80 +36% #651
1930s – 528 528 53 -34% #752
1940s – 479 479 48 -9% #855
1950s 5 603 608 61 +27% #864
1960s – 576 576 58 -5% #922
1970s 18 487 505 51 -12% #1,116
1980s – 409 409 41 -19% #1,281
1990s – 337 337 34 -18% #1,879
2000s – 406 406 41 +20% #2,473
2010s – 671 671 67 +65% #1,770
2020s (to 2025) – 625 625 104 +55% #1,463

Where Leander is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 130 0.08 outside top 500
2027 138 0.08 outside top 500
2028 144 0.08 outside top 500
2029 150 0.09 outside top 500
2030 155 0.09 outside top 500

Where Leander is most popular

Boys named Leander per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.062 per 1,000. Strongest in New York, Ohio, and Massachusetts.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Leander born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
New York 42 0.097 +57%
Ohio 23 0.087 +40%
Massachusetts 10 0.073 +17%
Indiana 11 0.069 +11%
California 60 0.066 +6%
Virginia 10 0.053 -15%
Wisconsin 6 0.051 -18%
Illinois 11 0.043 -31%
Washington 7 0.043 -31%
Texas 37 0.042 -32%
Minnesota 5 0.041 -34%
Colorado 5 0.039 -37%
Florida 18 0.038 -39%
Pennsylvania 8 0.030 -51%
New Jersey 6 0.030 -52%
Michigan 5 0.024 -61%
North Carolina 5 0.020 -68%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Leander

Leander is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,463 in 2025 with 122 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 6,956 American babies have been named Leander. Its peak came in 2025, when 122 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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

How old are people named Leander?

The median living Leander is about 37 years old; half are between 11 and 60. An estimated 4,100 people named Leander are alive in the United States today.

median 37 020406080100

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

Leander 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 – – 122 #1,463
2024 – – 94 #1,758
2023 – – 117 #1,513
2022 – – 113 #1,570
2021 – – 89 #1,788
2020 – – 90 #1,728
2019 – – 88 #1,770
2018 – – 65 #2,157
2017 – – 64 #2,147
2016 – – 84 #1,806
2015 – – 75 #1,944
2014 – – 69 #2,052
2013 – – 61 #2,174
2012 – – 58 #2,252
2011 – – 50 #2,494
2010 – – 57 #2,278
2009 – – 52 #2,473
2008 – – 50 #2,533
2007 – – 47 #2,629
2006 – – 42 #2,773
2005 – – 43 #2,594
2004 – – 33 #3,053
2003 – – 29 #3,244
2002 – – 38 #2,581
2001 – – 36 #2,663
2000 – – 36 #2,604
1995 – – 26 #2,815
1990 – – 41 #1,896
1985 – – 37 #1,687
1980 – – 53 #1,281
1975 – – 46 #1,271
1970 – – 46 #1,232
1965 – – 49 #1,059
1960 – – 63 #959
1955 – – 63 #946
1950 – – 49 #997
1945 – – 36 #1,096
1940 – – 55 #855
1935 – – 62 #786
1930 – – 60 #850
1925 – – 72 #776
1920 – – 91 #671
1915 – – 68 #720
1910 – – 16 #770
1905 – – 11 #773
1900 – – 16 #640
1895 – – 9 #772
1890 – – 20 #409
1885 – – 16 #471
1880 – – 17 #435

Famous people named Leander

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Leander Paes Leander Paes Indian professional tennis player (born 1973) Contemporary
  2. 2 Leander of Seville Leander of Seville Bishop of Seville 534–600 · Medieval

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Leander?

The median living Leander is about 37 years old. Half of all living Leanders are between 11 and 60 years old.

How many people named Leander are alive today?

An estimated 4,100 people named Leander are alive in the United States, based on 6,956 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Leander mean?

From Latin Leander, from Ancient Greek Λέανδρος (Léandros), from λεώς (leṓs) (Attic form of λᾱός (lāós, “people”)) + ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”) + -ος (-os).

How popular is the name Leander in 2025?

Leander ranked #1,463 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 122 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Leander?

6,956 babies have been named Leander in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Leander most popular?

Leander peaked in 2025, when 122 newborns received the name.

Is Leander a boy or girl name?

Leander is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Leander rising or falling?

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

Will Leander become more popular?

Leander is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 155 boys named Leander in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Leander?

Well-known people named Leander include Leander Paes (tennis player), Leander of Seville (physician).

Names like Leander

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

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