Holding steady.
Popularity of Leanor since 1911
Babies named Leanor per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1919, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Leanor's real moment was 1913.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 77 |
| 1920s | 84 |
| 1930s | 52 |
| 1940s | 45 |
| 1950s | 16 |
| 1960s | 22 |
| 1970s | 13 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Leanor is a rare feminine name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1911, with its peak year of usage in 1913. The name has maintained a stable trajectory since then, but it is not among the top 1000 names in any recent year. Its exact origin is uncertain; it may derive from Eleanor or Leonard. Leanor saw most of its limited use in the early 1910s, a time when similar names like Eleanor and Lenore were also popular. Today, parents drawn to vintage names might rediscover Leanor as an uncommon alternative to more familiar choices.
Leanor likely emerged as a variant of Eleanor, which derives from the Provençal name Alienor, of debated origin. Alternatively, it may be a feminine form of Leonard, from the Germanic elements leon (lion) and hard (brave). The name saw modest use in the early 20th century in the United States, particularly in the 1910s.
“Leanor” around the world
Where Leanor lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Lea, Nora, Ellie
Sibling names for Leanor
Names that share Leanor's style, for a brother or sister.
