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
Showing
- 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
boys
Rank among boys' names. Lionel has never cracked the top 200 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 | — | #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 | |
First appearance
1880
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 2015
- 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
- Arizona#373 · 1 in 1,946
- California#400 · 1 in 2,487
- Massachusetts#403 · 1 in 2,687
- Texas#427 · 1 in 2,411
- Nebraska#432 · 1 in 2,021
Best ever in a state: #45 in New Hampshire, 1917.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | #373 | 19 | 1 in 1,946 |
| California | #400 | 91 | 1 in 2,487 |
| Massachusetts | #403 | 11 | 1 in 2,687 |
| Texas | #427 | 78 | 1 in 2,411 |
| Nebraska | #432 | 5 | 1 in 2,021 |
| Illinois | #469 | 25 | 1 in 2,656 |
| Nevada | #505 | 5 | 1 in 2,717 |
| New Jersey | #512 | 13 | 1 in 3,199 |
| Utah | #603 | 6 | 1 in 3,543 |
| Louisiana | #626 | 7 | 1 in 3,640 |
| New York | #647 | 23 | 1 in 4,471 |
| Oklahoma | #702 | 5 | 1 in 4,154 |
| Colorado | #783 | 5 | 1 in 5,536 |
| Georgia | #786 | 10 | 1 in 5,495 |
| Florida | #801 | 16 | 1 in 6,147 |
| Michigan | #808 | 8 | 1 in 5,971 |
| North Carolina | #835 | 8 | 1 in 6,501 |
| Indiana | #899 | 5 | 1 in 7,230 |
| Pennsylvania | #1,035 | 6 | 1 in 9,971 |
| Ohio | #1,201 | 5 | 1 in 12,058 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| 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
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 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)
Rise & fade · boys
54 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1934 at #295 (336 births)
- Births halved by 1994, 60 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 135 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 135 yrs · run 1882–1996
Share of babies · boys
1 in 2,809
- 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
Era · boys
The 2010s
- 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 2015
boys
#645
405 births · 1 in 4,733 boys
Top boys' names in 2015
More about 2015
boys
1,916,743 boys got a published name in 2015; 1 in 4,733 of them was named Lionel, which outranked 95.4% of the 14,059 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.3% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Lionel
Biggest movers since 2014
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.