Lemuel
Boy name · #2020 in 2025 · Very rare
Lemuel ranks #2020 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 74 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2001, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 24,324 boys born in 2025 was named Lemuel.
Babies named Lemuel per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Lemuel first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 59 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1921, when 147 boys were named Lemuel — good for #510 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Lemuel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lemuel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lemuel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Lemuel will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Lemuel is most common
State-level data for Lemuel 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 Lemuel
Statistically, parents drawn to Lemuel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Hershel, Basil, Herschel, Luther, and Roscoe.
HershelBasilHerschelLutherRoscoeMervinEdmondRussel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lemuel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 74 | #2020 |
| 2024 | 69 | #2133 |
| 2023 | 67 | #2147 |
| 2022 | 73 | #2060 |
| 2021 | 62 | #2253 |
| 2020 | 65 | #2139 |
| 2019 | 72 | #2020 |
| 2018 | 82 | #1838 |
| 2017 | 71 | #2003 |
| 2016 | 48 | #2587 |
| 2015 | 72 | #2001 |
| 2014 | 70 | #2017 |
| 2013 | 64 | #2090 |
| 2012 | 52 | #2415 |
| 2011 | 51 | #2437 |
| 2010 | 52 | #2402 |
| 2009 | 34 | #3274 |
| 2008 | 57 | #2291 |
| 2007 | 38 | #3025 |
| 2006 | 63 | #2082 |
| 2005 | 43 | #2567 |
| 2004 | 38 | #2741 |
| 2003 | 66 | #1800 |
| 2002 | 43 | #2372 |
| 2001 | 47 | #2185 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Lemuel a popular boy name?
Lemuel ranked #2020 among boys in 2025 with 74 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2001.
When was the name Lemuel most popular?
Lemuel peaked in 1921, when 147 American boys received the name (ranked #510 that year). Since 1921 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Lemuel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 24,324 newborn American boys was named Lemuel. 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.