Leander
Boy name · #1461 in 2025 · Very rare
Leander ranks #1461 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 122 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1931, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 14,754 boys born in 2025 was named Leander.
The 145-year story
Leander first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 17 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 122 babies and a rank of #1459. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Leander per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Leander against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Leander in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Leander is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Leander will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Leander is most common
State-level data for Leander is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Leander
Statistically, parents drawn to Leander tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lander, Lysander, Vander, Haider, and Sander.
LanderLysanderVanderHaiderSanderCalderAlderEvander
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Leander | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 122 | #1459 |
| 2024 | 94 | #1752 |
| 2023 | 117 | #1508 |
| 2022 | 113 | #1566 |
| 2021 | 89 | #1784 |
| 2020 | 90 | #1716 |
| 2019 | 88 | #1762 |
| 2018 | 65 | #2147 |
| 2017 | 64 | #2130 |
| 2016 | 84 | #1799 |
| 2015 | 75 | #1931 |
| 2014 | 69 | #2044 |
| 2013 | 61 | #2165 |
| 2012 | 58 | #2238 |
| 2011 | 50 | #2478 |
| 2010 | 57 | #2262 |
| 2009 | 52 | #2451 |
| 2008 | 50 | #2515 |
| 2007 | 47 | #2602 |
| 2006 | 42 | #2744 |
| 2005 | 43 | #2567 |
| 2004 | 33 | #3014 |
| 2003 | 29 | #3186 |
| 2002 | 38 | #2556 |
| 2001 | 36 | #2618 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Leander a popular boy name?
Leander ranked #1461 among boys in 2025 with 122 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1931.
When was the name Leander most popular?
Leander peaked in 2025, when 122 American boys received the name (ranked #1459 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Leander?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 14,754 newborn American boys was named Leander. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.