Leif
- Last seen for girls in 1981 at #10,411
- #917 for boys in 2025, 257 births
- Given to boys >99.9% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1979 · 181 births
- Debut · boys
- 7 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 9,997since 1912
Leif over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Leif has never cracked the top 600 here.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #917 | 257 | |
| 2024 | — | #927 | 250 | |
| 2023 | — | #860 | 279 | |
| 2022 | — | #841 | 290 | |
| 2021 | — | #991 | 221 | |
| 2020 | — | #910 | 245 | |
| 2019 | — | #1,013 | 205 | |
| 2018 | — | #998 | 207 | |
| 2017 | — | #955 | 218 | |
| 2016 | — | #963 | 214 | |
| 2015 | — | #1,061 | 187 | |
| 2014 | — | #1,004 | 205 | |
| 2013 | — | #1,005 | 195 | |
| 2012 | — | #1,060 | 179 | |
| 2011 | — | #1,028 | 185 | |
| 2010 | — | #1,092 | 176 | |
| 2009 | — | #1,063 | 175 | |
| 2008 | — | #1,240 | 140 | |
| 2007 | — | #1,327 | 128 | |
| 2006 | — | #1,239 | 135 | |
| 2005 | — | #1,081 | 152 | |
| 2004 | — | #1,304 | 114 | |
| 2003 | — | #1,111 | 138 | |
| 2002 | — | #1,315 | 101 | |
| 2001 | — | #1,151 | 120 | |
| 2000 | — | #1,116 | 126 | |
| 1999 | — | #1,149 | 114 | |
| 1998 | — | #1,301 | 91 | |
| 1997 | — | #1,366 | 81 | |
| 1996 | — | #1,246 | 89 | |
| 1995 | — | #1,307 | 81 | |
| 1994 | — | #1,275 | 84 | |
| 1993 | — | #1,313 | 75 | |
| 1992 | — | #1,274 | 79 | |
| 1991 | — | #1,113 | 97 | |
| 1990 | — | #1,166 | 87 | |
| 1989 | — | #1,184 | 81 | |
| 1988 | — | #1,003 | 94 | |
| 1987 | — | #954 | 97 | |
| 1986 | — | #854 | 113 | |
| 1985 | — | #857 | 110 | |
| 1984 | — | #823 | 113 | |
| 1983 | — | #740 | 136 | |
| 1982 | — | #676 | 164 | |
| 1981 | #10,411 | 5 | #694 | 154 |
| 1980 | — | #664 | 169 | |
| 1979 | — | #638 | 181 | |
| 1978 | — | #759 | 124 | |
| 1977 | — | #937 | 82 | |
| 1976 | — | #878 | 90 | |
| 1975 | — | #796 | 109 | |
| 1974 | — | #818 | 97 | |
| 1973 | — | #810 | 95 | |
| 1972 | — | #760 | 109 | |
| 1971 | — | #767 | 114 | |
| 1970 | — | #653 | 157 | |
| 1969 | — | #676 | 135 | |
| 1968 | — | #736 | 102 | |
| 1967 | — | #754 | 96 | |
| 1966 | — | #853 | 72 | |
| 1965 | — | #809 | 83 | |
| 1964 | — | #849 | 80 | |
| 1963 | — | #816 | 86 | |
| 1962 | — | #862 | 77 | |
| 1961 | — | #870 | 77 | |
| 1960 | — | #862 | 78 | |
| 1959 | — | #987 | 61 | |
| 1958 | — | #1,104 | 48 | |
| 1957 | — | #995 | 58 | |
| 1956 | — | #1,140 | 44 | |
| 1955 | — | #1,114 | 44 | |
| 1954 | — | #1,101 | 46 | |
| 1953 | — | #1,074 | 46 | |
| 1952 | — | #1,268 | 34 | |
| 1951 | — | #1,643 | 21 | |
| 1950 | — | #1,123 | 40 | |
| 1949 | — | #1,144 | 38 | |
| 1948 | — | #1,519 | 23 | |
| 1947 | — | #1,646 | 21 | |
| 1946 | — | #1,601 | 20 | |
| 1945 | — | #1,633 | 17 | |
| 1944 | — | #1,988 | 13 | |
| 1943 | — | #1,764 | 17 | |
| 1942 | — | #1,682 | 18 | |
| 1941 | — | #1,997 | 13 | |
| 1940 | — | #1,736 | 16 | |
| 1939 | — | #1,532 | 19 | |
| 1938 | — | #1,976 | 13 | |
| 1937 | — | #1,992 | 13 | |
| 1936 | — | #2,629 | 8 | |
| 1935 | — | #2,951 | 7 | |
| 1934 | — | #2,742 | 8 | |
| 1933 | — | #3,004 | 7 | |
| 1932 | — | #2,191 | 12 | |
| 1931 | — | #2,003 | 14 | |
| 1930 | — | #2,609 | 10 | |
| 1929 | — | #2,002 | 15 | |
| 1928 | — | #2,162 | 14 | |
| 1927 | — | #2,703 | 10 | |
| 1926 | — | #1,981 | 16 | |
| 1925 | — | #2,089 | 15 | |
| 1924 | — | #2,641 | 11 | |
| 1923 | — | #2,446 | 12 | |
| 1922 | — | #2,240 | 14 | |
| 1921 | — | #2,376 | 13 | |
| 1920 | — | #3,815 | 6 | |
| 1919 | — | #1,695 | 20 | |
| 1918 | — | #1,827 | 18 | |
| 1917 | — | #1,815 | 17 | |
| 1916 | — | #1,771 | 17 | |
| 1915 | — | #1,505 | 21 | |
| 1914 | — | #1,687 | 14 | |
| 1913 | — | #1,497 | 13 | |
| 1912 | — | #2,045 | 7 | |
| 1911 | — | — | ||
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| 1883 | — | — | ||
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| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
First appearance
1912
The first year at least five boys were named Leif! It came in at #2,045, and was given to 7 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1920, when fewer than 7 boys a year got the name.
Where Leif is popular in 2025
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- Montana#227 · 1 in 753
- Utah#351 · 1 in 1,513
- Washington#425 · 1 in 1,929
- Idaho#435 · 1 in 1,726
- Colorado#468 · 1 in 2,238
Best ever in a state: #119 in New Hampshire, 1979.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | #227 | 5 | 1 in 753 |
| Utah | #351 | 13 | 1 in 1,513 |
| Washington | #425 | 17 | 1 in 1,929 |
| Idaho | #435 | 5 | 1 in 1,726 |
| Colorado | #468 | 12 | 1 in 2,238 |
| Wisconsin | #523 | 9 | 1 in 2,604 |
| Minnesota | #640 | 7 | 1 in 3,500 |
| South Carolina | #668 | 6 | 1 in 3,533 |
| Tennessee | #672 | 10 | 1 in 3,677 |
| Michigan | #715 | 10 | 1 in 4,019 |
| Florida | #729 | 21 | 1 in 4,549 |
| Arizona | #781 | 7 | 1 in 4,675 |
| Massachusetts | #789 | 5 | 1 in 5,404 |
| Pennsylvania | #913 | 8 | 1 in 6,532 |
| Virginia | #971 | 6 | 1 in 6,209 |
| Texas | #1,039 | 22 | 1 in 7,957 |
| California | #1,150 | 17 | 1 in 10,322 |
| Ohio | #1,267 | 5 | 1 in 10,507 |
| North Carolina | #1,277 | 5 | 1 in 10,294 |
| Illinois | #1,280 | 5 | 1 in 9,910 |
| Georgia | #1,350 | 5 | 1 in 10,044 |
| New York | #1,576 | 6 | 1 in 14,070 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Leif
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 10 spots since 2024 (#927 → #917)
- 7 spots since 2020 (#910 → #917)
- 144 spots since 2015 (#1,061 → #917)
- Biggest jump: 178 spots in 1978
- Biggest drop: 114 spots in 1971
Rise & fade · boys
67 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1912
- Peaked 1979 at #638 (181 births)
- Births halved by 1989, 10 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 39 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 39 yrs · run 1959–1987
Share of babies · boys
1 in 6,021
- Highest: 1 in 6,021 boys born in 2022 were named Leif (0.02%)
- Latest: 1 in 6,646 boys born in 2025 (0.02%)
- Its best rank, #638 in 1979, was only 1 in 9,511 (0.01%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 2010s
- 19.7% of all boys named Leif (1,971) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 127 | #1,497 (1913) | #1,730 |
| 1920s | 126 | #1,981 (1926) | #2,446 |
| 1930s | 111 | #1,532 (1939) | #2,363 |
| 1940s | 196 | #1,144 (1949) | #1,671 |
| 1950s | 442 | #987 (1959) | #1,155 |
| 1960s | 886 | #676 (1969) | #809 |
| 1970s | 1,158 | #638 (1979) | #782 |
| 1980s | 1,231 | #664 (1980) | #845 |
| 1990s | 878 | #1,113 (1991) | #1,251 |
| 2000s | 1,329 | #1,063 (2009) | #1,195 |
| 2010s | 1,971 | #955 (2017) | #1,018 |
| 2020s | 1,542 | #841 (2022) | #908 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Want to check a specific year?
See where Leif ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: