Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2022

Leonidas

Meaning son of Leon / lion Gender Boy Rank 2025 #510 Trend → Stable

From Ancient Greek Λεωνίδᾱς (Leōnídās, “son of Leon / lion”).

Rank 2025
#510
among boys · unchanged vs 2024
Babies in 2025
591
named Leonidas · -1% vs 2024
How common
1 in 2,890
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2022
760 babies
All-time total
10,281
#1,187 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Leonidas popularity over time

10,281 babies have been named Leonidas 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
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2022Boys

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 22 2 – #883
1890s 26 3 +18% #835
1900s 5 1 -81% #1,140
1910s 128 13 +2460% #1,465
1920s 180 18 +41% #1,408
1930s 108 11 -40% #1,883
1940s 71 7 -34% #2,257
1950s 83 8 +17% #2,470
1960s 112 11 +35% #1,935
1970s 134 13 +20% #2,203
1980s 142 14 +6% #2,656
1990s 135 14 -5% #3,402
2000s 733 73 +443% #880
2010s 4,479 448 +511% #482
2020s (to 2025) 3,923 654 +46% #421

Where Leonidas 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 596 0.35 outside top 500
2027 601 0.35 outside top 500
2028 605 0.35 outside top 500
2029 608 0.36 #497
2030 611 0.36 #495

Where Leonidas is most popular

Boys named Leonidas per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.379 per 1,000. Strongest in Hawaii, New Mexico, and Nevada.

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 Leonidas 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
Hawaii 28 1.80 +376%
New Mexico 33 1.00 +164%
Nevada 48 0.842 +122%
Colorado 106 0.821 +117%
Washington 117 0.715 +89%
Oregon 51 0.672 +77%
Arizona 105 0.642 +69%
Alaska 7 0.588 +55%
Utah 56 0.587 +55%
Illinois 138 0.540 +42%
Kansas 35 0.510 +35%
Indiana 80 0.499 +32%
Florida 229 0.484 +28%
Missouri 66 0.476 +26%
Oklahoma 41 0.464 +22%
New Hampshire 10 0.450 +19%
California 402 0.440 +16%
Wisconsin 51 0.431 +14%
Massachusetts 59 0.429 +13%
Ohio 111 0.419 +10%
Texas 367 0.417 +10%
Virginia 76 0.401 +6%
Michigan 80 0.391 ≈ national
New York 169 0.390 ≈ national
New Jersey 77 0.382 ≈ national
Kentucky 37 0.369 ≈ national
Minnesota 44 0.359 -5%
Pennsylvania 91 0.343 -10%
North Carolina 85 0.333 -12%
South Carolina 34 0.329 -13%
Maryland 38 0.319 -16%
Connecticut 21 0.310 -18%
Georgia 73 0.288 -24%
Tennessee 52 0.288 -24%
Montana 5 0.284 -25%
Idaho 11 0.269 -29%
Nebraska 11 0.253 -33%
Iowa 17 0.247 -35%
Louisiana 19 0.186 -51%
Arkansas 7 0.111 -71%
Alabama 12 0.110 -71%
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
North Dakota – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
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 Leonidas

Leonidas is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #510 in 2025 with 591 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 10,281 American babies have been named Leonidas. Its peak came in 2022, when 760 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 Leonidas stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Leonidas?

The median living Leonidas is about 7 years old; half are between 3 and 11. An estimated 9,700 people named Leonidas are alive in the United States today.

median 7 020406080100

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

Leonidas year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 591 #510
2024 597 #510
2023 638 #476
2022 760 #421
2021 688 #446
2020 649 #457
2019 608 #482
2018 569 #504
2017 582 #498
2016 593 #505
2015 556 #518
2014 494 #559
2013 337 #704
2012 288 #788
2011 234 #888
2010 218 #927
2009 201 #986
2008 241 #880
2007 152 #1,167
2006 19 #4,795
2005 27 #3,581
2004 22 #4,085
2003 28 #3,332
2002 13 #5,599
2001 14 #5,303
2000 16 #4,707
1995 10 #5,748
1990 18 #3,402
1985 18 #2,783
1980 15 #3,041
1975 15 #2,709
1970 13 #2,692
1965 6 #3,757
1960 5 #4,373
1955 9 #2,883
1950 9 #2,694
1945 6 #3,184
1940 11 #2,257
1935 8 #2,842
1930 12 #2,383
1925 19 #1,844
1920 28 #1,408
1915 15 #1,932
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 5 #1,180
1890 – –
1885 5 #1,025
1880 5 #1,001

Famous people named Leonidas

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

  1. 1 Leonidas I Leonidas I King of Sparta from c. 489 BC to 480 BC -540–-480 · Antiquity
  2. 2 Leonidas Polk Leonidas Polk Confederate general and bishop (1806–1864) 19th century
  3. 3 Leonidas Kavakos Leonidas Kavakos Greek violin virtuoso and conductor b. 1967 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Leonidas of Rhodes Leonidas of Rhodes Ancient Greek Olympic runner -200–-200 · Antiquity
  5. 5 Leonidas II Leonidas II King of Sparta -315–-235 · Antiquity
  6. 6 Leonidas of Tarentum Leonidas of Tarentum Writer, Italy -320–-260 · Antiquity
  7. 7 Leonidas Pyrgos Leonidas Pyrgos Greek fencer 1871–2000 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Leonidas?

The median living Leonidas is about 7 years old. Half of all living Leonidass are between 3 and 11 years old.

How many people named Leonidas are alive today?

An estimated 9,700 people named Leonidas are alive in the United States, based on 10,281 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Leonidas mean?

From Ancient Greek Λεωνίδᾱς (Leōnídās, “son of Leon / lion”).

How popular is the name Leonidas in 2025?

Leonidas ranked #510 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 591 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Leonidas?

10,281 babies have been named Leonidas in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Leonidas most popular?

Leonidas peaked in 2022, when 760 newborns received the name.

Is Leonidas a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Leonidas rising or falling?

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

Will Leonidas become more popular?

Leonidas looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 611 boys named Leonidas in 2030, ranking around #495. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Leonidas?

Well-known people named Leonidas include Leonidas I (politician), Leonidas Polk (military personnel), Leonidas Kavakos (musician).

Names like Leonidas

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

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