Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2022

Lion

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,219 Trend ↑ Rising 39%
Rank 2025
#3,219
among boys · ↑437 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
37
named Lion · +19% vs 2024
How common
1 in 46,164
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2022
43 babies
All-time total
448
#8,426 all-time among boys
First recorded
1922
in Social Security records

Lion popularity over time

448 babies have been named Lion since 1922, 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
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 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 – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s 6 1 – #4,117
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s – – – –
1980s – – – –
1990s 23 2 – #7,447
2000s 32 3 +39% #6,279
2010s 188 19 +488% #3,534
2020s (to 2025) 199 33 +76% #2,940

Where Lion 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 39 0.02 outside top 500
2027 40 0.02 outside top 500
2028 42 0.02 outside top 500
2029 43 0.03 outside top 500
2030 44 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Lion

Lion is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,219 in 2025 with 37 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1922, 448 American babies have been named Lion. Its peak came in 2022, when 43 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 Lion stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Lion?

The median living Lion is about 6 years old; half are between 3 and 11. An estimated 400 people named Lion are alive in the United States today.

median 6 020406080100

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

Lion year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 37 #3,219
2024 31 #3,656
2023 41 #3,039
2022 43 #2,940
2021 24 #4,322
2020 23 #4,363
2019 32 #3,534
2018 28 #3,845
2017 29 #3,733
2016 18 #5,242
2015 24 #4,245
2014 18 #5,179
2013 13 #6,482
2012 8 #9,377
2011 8 #9,280
2010 10 #7,926
2009 5 #13,695
2008 14 #6,279
2007 5 #13,605
2006 – –
2005 8 #8,787
2004 – –
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 – –
1995 5 #9,735
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 Lion

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

  1. 1 Lion Feuchtwanger Lion Feuchtwanger German writer (1884–1958) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Lion?

The median living Lion is about 6 years old. Half of all living Lions are between 3 and 11 years old.

How many people named Lion are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Lion are alive in the United States, based on 448 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Lion in 2025?

Lion ranked #3,219 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 37 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Lion?

448 babies have been named Lion in the United States since 1922, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Lion most popular?

Lion peaked in 2022, when 43 newborns received the name.

Is Lion a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Lion rising or falling?

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

Will Lion become more popular?

Lion is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 44 boys named Lion 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 Lion?

Well-known people named Lion include Lion Feuchtwanger (writer).

Names like Lion

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

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