Leonid: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#5,746

among boys · ↓1,468 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Leonid · -36% vs 2024

How common

1 in 106,755

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2022

30 babies

All-time total

494

#7,946 all-time among boys

First recorded

1959

in Social Security records

Leonid popularity over time

494 babies have been named Leonid since 1959, 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	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	5	1	–	#4,322
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	7	1	–	#4,328
1980s	10	1	+43%	#4,035
1990s	33	3	+230%	#7,008
2000s	107	11	+224%	#4,685
2010s	191	19	+79%	#3,941
2020s (to 2025)	141	24	+23%	#3,738

The story of Leonid

Leonid is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,746 in 2025 with 16 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1959, 494 American babies have been named Leonid. Its peak came in 2022, when 30 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 Leonid stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Leonid?

The median living Leonid is about 11 years old; half are between 4 and 18. An estimated 500 people named Leonid 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.

Leonid year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	16	#5,746
2024	25	#4,278
2023	25	#4,292
2022	30	#3,738
2021	27	#3,964
2020	18	#5,155
2019	15	#5,992
2018	22	#4,551
2017	20	#4,861
2016	27	#3,941
2015	17	#5,427
2014	18	#5,178
2013	20	#4,735
2012	17	#5,404
2011	18	#5,107
2010	17	#5,386
2009	21	#4,685
2008	9	#8,728
2007	15	#5,811
2006	8	#9,240
2005	10	#7,450
2004	12	#6,372
2003	6	#10,347
2002	12	#5,929
2001	8	#8,017
2000	6	#9,825
1995	6	#8,443
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Leonid

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

1 Leonid Brezhnev Leader of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982 1906–1982 · Contemporary
2 Leonid Kuchma President of Ukraine from 1994 to 2005 b. 1938 · Contemporary
3 Leonid Kravchuk President of Ukraine from 1991 to 1994 b. 1934 · Contemporary
4 Leonid Rogozov Russian doctor who performed an auto-appendectomy (1934–2000) Contemporary
5 Leonid Stadnyk Ukrainian farmer who claimed to have stood at 2.57 m 1969–2014 · Contemporary
6 Leonid Kantorovich Russian mathematician (1912–1986) Contemporary
7 Leonid Andreyev Russian playwright and writer (1871–1919) 19th century
8 Leonid Govorov Soviet military commander (1897–1955) 19th century
9 Leonid Pasternak Russian artist (1862–1945) 19th century
10 Leonid Gaidai Soviet film director (1923–1993) Contemporary
11 Leonid Krasin Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician and diplomat (1870–1926) 19th century
12 Leonid Leonov Russian writer 1899–1994 · 19th century
13 Leonid Hurwicz Polish–American economist and mathematician (1917–2008) Contemporary
14 Leonid Kuravlyov Soviet and Russian film actor (1936–2022) Contemporary
15 Leonid Kogan Soviet violinist (1924–1982) Contemporary
16 Leonid Kanevsky Soviet Russian actor b. 1939 · Contemporary
17 Leonid Stein Soviet chess grandmaster (1934–1973) Contemporary
18 Leonid Kulik Russian mineralogist (1883–1942) 19th century
19 Leonid Kadeniuk Ukrainian cosmonaut (1951–2018) Contemporary
20 Leonid Bykov Soviet actor and filmmaker (1928-1979) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Leonid?

The median living Leonid is about 11 years old. Half of all living Leonids are between 4 and 18 years old.

How many people named Leonid are alive today?

An estimated 500 people named Leonid are alive in the United States, based on 494 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Leonid mean?

From Latin Leō (“lion; the constellation Leo”, stem Leōn-) +‎ -id.

How popular is the name Leonid in 2025?

Leonid ranked #5,746 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 16 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Leonid?

494 babies have been named Leonid in the United States since 1959, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Leonid most popular?

Leonid peaked in 2022, when 30 newborns received the name.

Is Leonid a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Leonid rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Leonid?

Well-known people named Leonid include Leonid Brezhnev (politician), Leonid Kuchma (politician), Leonid Kravchuk (politician).

Names like Leonid

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

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