Leni
Girl name · #1174 in 2025 · Rare
Leni ranks #1174 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 197 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3767, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,137 girls born in 2025 was named Leni.
The 87-year story
Leni first appears in the Social Security records in 1938, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 201 babies and a rank of #1195. 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 Leni per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Leni against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Leni in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Leni is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Leni will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Leni is most common
Geography matters for names, and Leni is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Leni is most common in NC (0.3 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Leni is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Leni
Statistically, parents drawn to Leni tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Xareni, Leylani, Lailani, Jalani, and Laylani.
XareniLeylaniLailaniJalaniLaylaniLumiElaniXolani
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Leni | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 197 | #1173 |
| 2024 | 187 | #1242 |
| 2023 | 201 | #1195 |
| 2022 | 141 | #1521 |
| 2021 | 117 | #1750 |
| 2020 | 99 | #1924 |
| 2019 | 103 | #1919 |
| 2018 | 81 | #2254 |
| 2017 | 55 | #2964 |
| 2016 | 52 | #3139 |
| 2015 | 40 | #3767 |
| 2014 | 39 | #3848 |
| 2013 | 32 | #4422 |
| 2012 | 36 | #4121 |
| 2011 | 34 | #4244 |
| 2010 | 28 | #4974 |
| 2009 | 33 | #4482 |
| 2008 | 23 | #5955 |
| 2007 | 18 | #7092 |
| 2006 | 26 | #5233 |
| 2005 | 11 | #9452 |
| 2004 | 6 | #14179 |
| 1991 | 7 | #10271 |
| 1989 | 7 | #9681 |
| 1988 | 5 | #11798 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Leni a popular girl name?
Leni ranked #1174 among girls in 2025 with 197 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3767.
When was the name Leni most popular?
Leni peaked in 2023, when 201 American girls received the name (ranked #1195 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Leni?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,137 newborn American girls was named Leni. 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.