Leon
Boy name · #138 in 2025 · Well-known
Leon is currently the #138 boy name in the United States — 2,583 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #314, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 697 boys born in 2025 was named Leon.
Babies named Leon per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Leon first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 118 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1924, when 2,677 boys were named Leon — good for #76 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 Leon against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Leon in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Leon is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Leon is most common
Geography matters for names, and Leon is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Leon is most common in HI (3.8 per 1,000), MN (2.7 per 1,000), WA (2.5 per 1,000), CT (2.5 per 1,000), OK (2.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.8 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Leon is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Leon
Statistically, parents drawn to Leon tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Calvin, Warren, Charlie, Louis, and Harvey.
CalvinWarrenCharlieLouisHarveyArthurLewisGeorge
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Leon | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,583 | #138 |
| 2024 | 2,572 | #141 |
| 2023 | 2,459 | #148 |
| 2022 | 2,374 | #158 |
| 2021 | 2,198 | #177 |
| 2020 | 1,924 | #196 |
| 2019 | 1,866 | #208 |
| 2018 | 1,605 | #238 |
| 2017 | 1,518 | #244 |
| 2016 | 1,313 | #277 |
| 2015 | 1,140 | #314 |
| 2014 | 1,081 | #321 |
| 2013 | 1,021 | #324 |
| 2012 | 859 | #356 |
| 2011 | 696 | #406 |
| 2010 | 669 | #417 |
| 2009 | 628 | #445 |
| 2008 | 549 | #499 |
| 2007 | 543 | #488 |
| 2006 | 517 | #502 |
| 2005 | 470 | #524 |
| 2004 | 462 | #520 |
| 2003 | 495 | #497 |
| 2002 | 472 | #487 |
| 2001 | 469 | #490 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Leon a popular boy name?
Leon ranked #138 among boys in 2025 with 2,583 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #314.
When was the name Leon most popular?
Leon peaked in 1924, when 2,677 American boys received the name (ranked #76 that year). Since 1924 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Leon?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 697 newborn American boys was named Leon. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
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.