unisex name
Lean
- Origin Dutch
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 1,058
Ireland
#561
2002 births
Lean is a unisex name with 1 syllable. It is given to both girls and boys — about 69% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Lean is a name of Dutch origin.
- Peaked in 1985, when 27 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 207,211 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1916.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lean over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 11 |
| 1920s | 51 |
| 1930s | 10 |
| 1950s | 33 |
| 1960s | 93 |
| 1970s | 102 |
| 1980s | 194 |
| 1990s | 71 |
| 2000s | 79 |
| 2010s | 162 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 86 |
How popular is Lean?
In 2025, Lean was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Lean is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Lean is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Léan | Léan is a rare spelling of Lean, written with an acute accent and recorded about 55 times, mostly in France. | 55 |
Names that peaked alongside Lean
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lean also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lean over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Lean
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lean — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lean
How popular is the name Lean?
In 2025, Lean was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Lean a girl's or a boy's name?
Lean is used for both girls and boys. About 69% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Lean?
Lean has 1 syllable.
When was Lean most popular?
Lean peaked in 1985, when 27 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Lean a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lean currently ranks #5,714 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.