boy's name
Leif
- Origin Old Norse
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 11,351
the United States
#917
2025 births
Leif is a boy's name with 1 syllable. In 2025 it was given to 257 babies in the United States, ranking #917. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
- Leif is a name of Old Norse origin.
- Peaked in 2022, when 290 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 12,900 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1912.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Leif 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 | 127 |
| 1920s | 126 |
| 1930s | 111 |
| 1940s | 196 |
| 1950s | 442 |
| 1960s | 886 |
| 1970s | 1,158 |
| 1980s | 1,236 |
| 1990s | 878 |
| 2000s | 1,329 |
| 2010s | 1,971 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,542 |
How popular is Leif?
In 2025, Leif was given to 257 babies in the United States, ranking #917 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Leif 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 Leif is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Leïf | Leïf is a rare spelling of Leif, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Leif
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Leif also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Leif over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Leif
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Leif — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Leif
How popular is the name Leif?
In 2025, Leif was given to 257 babies in the United States, ranking #917 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Leif a girl's or a boy's name?
Leif is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Leif?
Leif has 1 syllable.
When was Leif most popular?
Leif peaked in 2022, when 290 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Leif a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Leif currently ranks #917 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.