Leif
Boy name · #917 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 257 baby boys were named Leif, placing it at #917 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1061, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,004 boys born in 2025 was named Leif.
Babies named Leif per year. Source: SSA.
The 113-year story
Leif first appears in the Social Security records in 1912, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 290 babies and a rank of #841. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Leif against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Leif in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Leif is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Leif will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Leif is most common
Geography matters for names, and Leif is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Leif is most common in UT (0.7 per 1,000), WA (0.5 per 1,000), CO (0.4 per 1,000), TN (0.3 per 1,000), MI (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Leif is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Leif
Statistically, parents drawn to Leif tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Saif, Lucien, Levy, Lucio, and Lionel.
SaifLucienLevyLucioLionelLouieLuciusOren
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Leif | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 257 | #917 |
| 2024 | 250 | #927 |
| 2023 | 279 | #860 |
| 2022 | 290 | #841 |
| 2021 | 221 | #991 |
| 2020 | 245 | #910 |
| 2019 | 205 | #1013 |
| 2018 | 207 | #998 |
| 2017 | 218 | #955 |
| 2016 | 214 | #963 |
| 2015 | 187 | #1061 |
| 2014 | 205 | #1004 |
| 2013 | 195 | #1005 |
| 2012 | 179 | #1060 |
| 2011 | 185 | #1028 |
| 2010 | 176 | #1092 |
| 2009 | 175 | #1063 |
| 2008 | 140 | #1240 |
| 2007 | 128 | #1327 |
| 2006 | 135 | #1239 |
| 2005 | 152 | #1081 |
| 2004 | 114 | #1304 |
| 2003 | 138 | #1111 |
| 2002 | 101 | #1315 |
| 2001 | 120 | #1151 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Leif a popular boy name?
Leif ranked #917 among boys in 2025 with 257 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1061.
When was the name Leif most popular?
Leif peaked in 2022, when 290 American boys received the name (ranked #841 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Leif?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,004 newborn American boys was named Leif. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "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.