Holding steady, #12,008 for boys today.
Popularity of Leno since 1909
Babies named Leno per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1921, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Leno's real moment was 1909.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 6 |
| 1910s | 137 |
| 1920s | 190 |
| 1930s | 61 |
| 1940s | 56 |
| 1950s | 27 |
| 1960s | 22 |
| 1970s | 11 |
| 1980s | 25 |
| 1990s | 12 |
| 2000s | 36 |
| 2010s | 45 |
| 2020s | 28 |
Meaning & origin
Leno is a name that has never broken into widespread use. First recorded in 1909, it saw its peak rank that very year, when it reached number 12,008. Since then, its occurrence has been sporadic, with a stable trajectory. In 2025, it appeared in roughly 1 in 341,615 births, making it a true rarity. The name has no strong ties to any U.S. state, appearing infrequently across the country. Its origins are uncertain, though it likely draws from the same root as Leonard, a name of Old High German origin meaning 'brave lion'. Leno may also be a modern coinage, given its resemblance to names like Len or the fashionable -o ending. For parents seeking a distinctive and uncommon name with a faint echo of the familiar, Leno might be worth considering.
Leno is a rare name of uncertain origin. It may be a short form of Leonard, derived from the Old High German Leonhard, composed of lewo (lion) and hardu (brave or hardy). Alternatively, it could be a variant of Len or a coinage from the fashionable -o suffix found in mid-20th-century American names. It has never been widely used; its peak occurrence was in 1909, and it has since remained rare.
“Leno” around the world
Where Leno lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
15
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Sibling names for Leno
Names that share Leno's style, for a brother or sister.
