Lemuel: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,030

among boys · ↑118 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Lemuel · +7% vs 2024

How common

1 in 23,082

boys born in 2025

Peak year

1921

147 babies

All-time total

9,965

#1,208 all-time among boys

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Lemuel popularity over time

9,965 babies have been named Lemuel 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

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	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	400	40	–	#195
1890s	255	26	-36%	#295
1900s	255	26	0%	#348
1910s	873	87	+242%	#489
1920s	1,242	124	+42%	#499
1930s	895	90	-28%	#578
1940s	865	87	-3%	#616
1950s	1,001	100	+16%	#658
1960s	882	88	-12%	#762
1970s	670	67	-24%	#946
1980s	571	57	-15%	#1,037
1990s	533	53	-7%	#1,441
2000s	479	48	-10%	#1,811
2010s	634	63	+32%	#1,848
2020s (to 2025)	410	68	+8%	#2,030

Where Lemuel 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	74	0.04	outside top 500
2027	74	0.04	outside top 500
2028	74	0.04	outside top 500
2029	74	0.04	outside top 500
2030	74	0.04	outside top 500

Where Lemuel is most popular

Boys named Lemuel per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.040 per 1,000. Strongest in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Florida.

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 Lemuel 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
Massachusetts	14	0.102	+155%
Maryland	10	0.084	+110%
Florida	18	0.038	-5%
Texas	29	0.033	-18%
New York	11	0.025	-36%
California	19	0.021	-48%
Pennsylvania	5	0.019	-53%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
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 Lemuel

Lemuel is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,030 in 2025 with 74 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 9,965 American babies have been named Lemuel. Its peak came in 1921, when 147 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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

How old are people named Lemuel?

The median living Lemuel is about 46 years old; half are between 22 and 66. An estimated 5,300 people named Lemuel are alive in the United States today.

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

Lemuel year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	74	#2,030
2024	69	#2,148
2023	67	#2,165
2022	73	#2,071
2021	62	#2,266
2020	65	#2,159
2019	72	#2,034
2018	82	#1,848
2017	71	#2,009
2016	48	#2,606
2015	72	#2,008
2014	70	#2,033
2013	64	#2,104
2012	52	#2,435
2011	51	#2,464
2010	52	#2,421
2009	34	#3,306
2008	57	#2,310
2007	38	#3,059
2006	63	#2,091
2005	43	#2,595
2004	38	#2,772
2003	66	#1,811
2002	43	#2,396
2001	47	#2,206
2000	50	#2,036
1995	46	#1,875
1990	55	#1,540
1985	62	#1,201
1980	70	#1,084
1975	71	#979
1970	72	#946
1965	87	#801
1960	94	#795
1955	96	#748
1950	86	#745
1945	73	#714
1940	74	#707
1935	85	#644
1930	102	#609
1925	118	#574
1920	146	#499
1915	95	#585
1910	29	#528
1905	24	#458
1900	37	#364
1895	23	#408
1890	28	#332
1885	31	#305
1880	59	#208

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Lemuel?

The median living Lemuel is about 46 years old. Half of all living Lemuels are between 22 and 66 years old.

How many people named Lemuel are alive today?

An estimated 5,300 people named Lemuel are alive in the United States, based on 9,965 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Lemuel in 2025?

Lemuel ranked #2,030 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 74 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Lemuel?

9,965 babies have been named Lemuel in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Lemuel most popular?

Lemuel peaked in 1921, when 147 newborns received the name.

Is Lemuel a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Lemuel rising or falling?

Lemuel has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Lemuel become more popular?

Lemuel looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 74 boys named Lemuel in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Lemuel

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

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