Lionel
Last seen for girls in 1986 at #10,912 · #659 for boys in 2025, 419 births
Given to boys 99.9% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1934 · 336 births
- Debut · boys
- 8 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 33,789since 1880
Lionel over time
Rank among boys' names. Lionel has never cracked the top 200 here.
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 | — | #659 | 419 | |
| 2024 | — | #562 | 529 | |
| 2023 | — | #495 | 609 | |
| 2022 | — | #620 | 450 | |
| 2021 | — | #660 | 410 | |
| 2020 | — | #659 | 398 | |
| 2019 | — | #631 | 428 | |
| 2018 | — | #634 | 418 | |
| 2017 | — | #596 | 458 | |
| 2016 | — | #583 | 475 | |
| 2015 | — | #645 | 405 | |
| 2014 | — | #662 | 388 | |
| 2013 | — | #738 | 317 | |
| 2012 | — | #807 | 275 | |
| 2011 | — | #791 | 282 | |
| 2010 | — | #899 | 228 | |
| 2009 | — | #1,074 | 173 | |
| 2008 | — | #1,133 | 161 | |
| 2007 | — | #1,171 | 151 | |
| 2006 | — | #1,224 | 137 | |
| 2005 | — | #1,132 | 144 | |
| 2004 | — | #1,235 | 122 | |
| 2003 | — | #1,167 | 128 | |
| 2002 | — | #1,160 | 122 | |
| 2001 | — | #992 | 154 | |
| 2000 | — | #998 | 148 | |
| 1999 | — | #1,019 | 136 | |
| 1998 | — | #913 | 157 | |
| 1997 | — | #1,051 | 121 | |
| 1996 | — | #974 | 130 | |
| 1995 | — | #824 | 169 | |
| 1994 | — | #847 | 160 | |
| 1993 | — | #727 | 204 | |
| 1992 | — | #746 | 191 | |
| 1991 | — | #708 | 205 | |
| 1990 | — | #665 | 231 | |
| 1989 | — | #602 | 265 | |
| 1988 | — | #584 | 251 | |
| 1987 | — | #508 | 310 | |
| 1986 | #10,912 | 5 | #484 | 327 |
| 1985 | #10,677 | 5 | #428 | 401 |
| 1984 | #10,422 | 5 | #387 | 443 |
| 1983 | #10,275 | 5 | #395 | 420 |
| 1982 | — | #455 | 354 | |
| 1981 | #6,804 | 9 | #487 | 293 |
| 1980 | — | #483 | 304 | |
| 1979 | — | #548 | 243 | |
| 1978 | — | #521 | 249 | |
| 1977 | — | #528 | 251 | |
| 1976 | — | #486 | 266 | |
| 1975 | — | #503 | 252 | |
| 1974 | — | #553 | 212 | |
| 1973 | — | #505 | 239 | |
| 1972 | — | #542 | 215 | |
| 1971 | — | #504 | 260 | |
| 1970 | — | #522 | 239 | |
| 1969 | — | #455 | 283 | |
| 1968 | — | #466 | 266 | |
| 1967 | — | #441 | 292 | |
| 1966 | — | #449 | 292 | |
| 1965 | — | #455 | 290 | |
| 1964 | — | #421 | 368 | |
| 1963 | — | #412 | 382 | |
| 1962 | — | #402 | 405 | |
| 1961 | — | #389 | 420 | |
| 1960 | — | #364 | 468 | |
| 1959 | — | #388 | 416 | |
| 1958 | #6,103 | 5 | #412 | 360 |
| 1957 | — | #425 | 336 | |
| 1956 | — | #365 | 410 | |
| 1955 | — | #407 | 323 | |
| 1954 | — | #372 | 359 | |
| 1953 | — | #354 | 385 | |
| 1952 | — | #366 | 340 | |
| 1951 | — | #370 | 340 | |
| 1950 | — | #355 | 363 | |
| 1949 | — | #370 | 336 | |
| 1948 | — | #368 | 339 | |
| 1947 | — | #370 | 349 | |
| 1946 | — | #360 | 329 | |
| 1945 | — | #345 | 306 | |
| 1944 | — | #343 | 303 | |
| 1943 | — | #364 | 284 | |
| 1942 | — | #366 | 274 | |
| 1941 | — | #341 | 287 | |
| 1940 | — | #352 | 260 | |
| 1939 | — | #332 | 277 | |
| 1938 | — | #333 | 280 | |
| 1937 | — | #345 | 247 | |
| 1936 | — | #314 | 291 | |
| 1935 | — | #325 | 281 | |
| 1934 | — | #295 | 336 | |
| 1933 | — | #295 | 321 | |
| 1932 | — | #310 | 311 | |
| 1931 | #4,331 | 5 | #321 | 290 |
| 1930 | — | #330 | 281 | |
| 1929 | — | #344 | 265 | |
| 1928 | — | #326 | 297 | |
| 1927 | — | #322 | 319 | |
| 1926 | — | #338 | 294 | |
| 1925 | — | #327 | 309 | |
| 1924 | — | #322 | 325 | |
| 1923 | — | #319 | 329 | |
| 1922 | — | #338 | 302 | |
| 1921 | #5,099 | 5 | #318 | 334 |
| 1920 | — | #362 | 272 | |
| 1919 | — | #362 | 253 | |
| 1918 | — | #356 | 266 | |
| 1917 | — | #350 | 255 | |
| 1916 | — | #385 | 205 | |
| 1915 | — | #359 | 224 | |
| 1914 | — | #365 | 168 | |
| 1913 | — | #367 | 129 | |
| 1912 | — | #346 | 119 | |
| 1911 | — | #314 | 74 | |
| 1910 | — | #480 | 33 | |
| 1909 | — | #428 | 34 | |
| 1908 | — | #438 | 30 | |
| 1907 | — | #417 | 30 | |
| 1906 | — | #424 | 27 | |
| 1905 | — | #430 | 25 | |
| 1904 | — | #482 | 20 | |
| 1903 | — | #353 | 30 | |
| 1902 | — | #490 | 19 | |
| 1901 | — | #422 | 20 | |
| 1900 | — | #446 | 26 | |
| 1899 | — | #438 | 18 | |
| 1898 | — | #435 | 21 | |
| 1897 | — | #438 | 19 | |
| 1896 | — | #438 | 20 | |
| 1895 | — | #456 | 19 | |
| 1894 | — | #419 | 20 | |
| 1893 | — | #419 | 19 | |
| 1892 | — | #748 | 9 | |
| 1891 | — | #427 | 17 | |
| 1890 | — | #511 | 14 | |
| 1889 | — | #673 | 9 | |
| 1888 | — | #704 | 9 | |
| 1887 | — | #488 | 13 | |
| 1886 | — | #578 | 11 | |
| 1885 | — | #936 | 5 | |
| 1884 | — | #848 | 6 | |
| 1883 | — | #720 | 7 | |
| 1882 | — | #943 | 5 | |
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | #682 | 8 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Lionel was already there! It came in at #682, and was given to 8 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1881–1882, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.
Where Lionel is popular in 1931
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- New Hampshire#59 · 1 in 300
- Vermont#77 · 1 in 360
- Maine#82 · 1 in 394
- Rhode Island#85 · 1 in 568
- Louisiana#90 · 1 in 419
Best ever in a state: #45 in New Hampshire, 1917.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | #59 | 10 | 1 in 300 |
| Vermont | #77 | 7 | 1 in 360 |
| Maine | #82 | 16 | 1 in 394 |
| Rhode Island | #85 | 8 | 1 in 568 |
| Louisiana | #90 | 44 | 1 in 419 |
| Connecticut | #105 | 12 | 1 in 891 |
| Massachusetts | #138 | 17 | 1 in 1,750 |
| New York | #219 | 34 | 1 in 2,653 |
| Illinois | #262 | 16 | 1 in 3,369 |
| Indiana | #312 | 5 | 1 in 4,770 |
| Minnesota | #313 | 5 | 1 in 3,982 |
| California | #314 | 11 | 1 in 3,307 |
| Missouri | #339 | 6 | 1 in 4,527 |
| Michigan | #371 | 6 | 1 in 6,489 |
| Mississippi | #375 | 5 | 1 in 3,625 |
| Texas | #398 | 17 | 1 in 3,247 |
| Pennsylvania | #402 | 8 | 1 in 9,558 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| 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 Lionel
- 97 spots since 2024 (#562 → #659)
- Same as 2020 (#659)
- 14 spots since 2015 (#645 → #659)
- Biggest jump: 358 spots in 1886 (#936 → #578)
- Biggest drop: 321 spots in 1892 (#427 → #748)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1934 at #295 (336 births)
- Births halved by 1994, 60 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 135 yrs · run 1882–1996
- Highest: 1 in 2,809 boys born in 2023 were named Lionel (0.04%)
- Latest: 1 in 4,077 boys born in 2025 (0.02%)
- Its best rank, #295 in 1934, was only 1 in 3,073 (0.03%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 10.9% of all boys named Lionel (3,674) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 73 | #488 (1887) | #730 |
| 1890s | 176 | #419 (1894) | #473 |
| 1900s | 261 | #353 (1903) | #433 |
| 1910s | 1,726 | #314 (1911) | #368 |
| 1920s | 3,046 | #318 (1921) | #332 |
| 1930s | 2,915 | #295 (1934) | #320 |
| 1940s | 3,067 | #341 (1941) | #358 |
| 1950s | 3,632 | #354 (1953) | #381 |
| 1960s | 3,466 | #364 (1960) | #425 |
| 1970s | 2,426 | #486 (1976) | #521 |
| 1980s | 3,368 | #387 (1984) | #481 |
| 1990s | 1,704 | #665 (1990) | #847 |
| 2000s | 1,440 | #992 (2001) | #1,129 |
| 2010s | 3,674 | #583 (2016) | #699 |
| 2020s | 2,815 | #495 (2023) | #609 |
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.
Lionel in 1931
Top girls' names in 1931
Top boys' names in 1931
More about 1931
girls
1,064,728 girls got a published name in 1931; 1 in 212,946 of them was named Lionel, which outranked 13.0% of the 4,979 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Tied with 648 names at #4,331; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,039,665 boys got a published name in 1931; 1 in 3,585 of them was named Lionel, which outranked 92.6% of the 4,321 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).