Baby Name Popularity Profile

Leo

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Leo.

✦ Lion 🌍 Latin nature traditional
National Rank (2025) #19
All-Time Peak Rank #18 Achieved 2023
Total U.S. Births 259,988 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 99.7% Boy / 0.3% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 2020s 8,293 births in 2022
💡 The Leo Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Lion
Language Origin Latin
Origin Type single
Derived from the Latin word 'leo', meaning 'lion'.
Pronunciation: LEE-oh
Themes & Categories
nature traditional
Etymology confidence: High

📖 The Story Behind Leo

According to SSA data, Leo achieved its highest historical rank of #18 in 2023. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 2022 with 8,293 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have increased by 77.6%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Leo across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Rising
10-Year Shift +77.6% Growth
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 8,293 births in 2022
Years in Top 100 69 yrs
Years in Top 500 146 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Moderately Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 2,098
1890s: 4,691
1900s: 5,629
1910s: 26,656
1920s: 36,960
1930s: 22,864
1940s: 16,962
1950s: 15,536
1960s: 9,487
1970s: 5,365
1980s: 4,541
1990s: 4,738
2000s: 12,274
2010s: 44,706
2020s: 47,481

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables L-eo
Letter Count 3 letters
Spelling Complexity Easy
Length Percentile Longer than 0.2% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 0.2% of SSA names. Starts with L, a letter used by only 5.7% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Leo.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Rhode Island
Top States Rhode Island, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont, Maine
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Rhode Island #48 2,330 1924 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire #29 1,920 1917 +16.7% Growth
North Dakota #13 2,052 1927 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont #14 942 1927 Insufficient historical volume
Maine #24 2,350 1923 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #14 13,007 1923 +13.8% Growth
South Dakota #9 1,697 1921 +53.8% Growth
New Mexico #26 2,217 1939 +53.8% Growth
Nebraska #23 2,956 1920 23.0% Decline
Iowa #16 5,105 1919 3.3% Decline
Minnesota #9 7,084 2019 +5.6% Growth
Montana #25 1,107 1917 +16.0% Growth
Kansas #17 3,716 2021 +3.6% Growth
Colorado #19 3,793 2022 +25.6% Growth
Wisconsin #15 6,287 2022 11.1% Decline
Connecticut #20 3,260 2022 1.0% Decline
Utah #17 2,333 2022 +10.3% Growth
Michigan #15 10,580 2025 +8.0% Growth
Louisiana #52 4,966 1921 +53.3% Growth
New York #11 21,079 2025 +20.0% Growth
Pennsylvania #20 14,604 1921 +5.1% Growth
Illinois #8 13,398 2025 +12.9% Growth
Idaho #49 1,064 2021 +22.6% Growth
Missouri #34 5,981 2022 2.0% Decline
Washington #19 4,328 2023 Stable
Arizona #29 3,234 2024 +5.1% Growth
Oklahoma #48 3,473 1920 +17.5% Growth
Nevada #45 816 2022 14.8% Decline
District of Columbia #14 1,085 2023 35.7% Decline
Oregon #27 2,163 2021 +4.8% Growth
New Jersey #13 6,393 2025 +25.7% Growth
California #15 22,981 2022 +14.7% Growth
Maryland #50 3,420 2022 2.9% Decline
Arkansas #75 2,306 1915 12.8% Decline
Alaska Unranked 294 2021 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #37 4,933 2019 13.0% Decline
Wyoming Unranked 274 1920 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #18 9,289 2021 +7.9% Growth
Florida #26 6,783 2025 +40.9% Growth
Texas #47 13,797 2022 +23.5% Growth
Hawaii #25 511 2021 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia #53 1,537 1924 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #35 3,553 2023 0.6% Decline
Mississippi #130 1,966 1922 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #74 2,632 2024 +6.5% Growth
North Carolina #42 4,202 2025 +41.5% Growth
Alabama #73 2,650 2025 +16.1% Growth
South Carolina #55 2,079 2025 +66.7% Growth
Delaware #18 286 2020 15.6% Decline
Georgia #55 3,520 2023 +21.7% Growth
Tennessee #64 2,558 2024 +8.6% Growth

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
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