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
Show data for
Peak · boys
1934 · 336 births
Debut · boys
8 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
33,789
since 1880

Lionel over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Lionel has never cracked the top 200 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201964peak #295, 1934boys
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
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#659419
2024#562529
2023#495609
2022#620450
2021#660410
2020#659398
2019#631428
2018#634418
2017#596458
2016#583475
2015#645405
2014#662388
2013#738317
2012#807275
2011#791282
2010#899228
2009#1,074173
2008#1,133161
2007#1,171151
2006#1,224137
2005#1,132144
2004#1,235122
2003#1,167128
2002#1,160122
2001#992154
2000#998148
1999#1,019136
1998#913157
1997#1,051121
1996#974130
1995#824169
1994#847160
1993#727204
1992#746191
1991#708205
1990#665231
1989#602265
1988#584251
1987#508310
1986#10,9125#484327
1985#10,6775#428401
1984#10,4225#387443
1983#10,2755#395420
1982#455354
1981#6,8049#487293
1980#483304
1979#548243
1978#521249
1977#528251
1976#486266
1975#503252
1974#553212
1973#505239
1972#542215
1971#504260
1970#522239
1969#455283
1968#466266
1967#441292
1966#449292
1965#455290
1964#421368
1963#412382
1962#402405
1961#389420
1960#364468
1959#388416
1958#6,1035#412360
1957#425336
1956#365410
1955#407323
1954#372359
1953#354385
1952#366340
1951#370340
1950#355363
1949#370336
1948#368339
1947#370349
1946#360329
1945#345306
1944#343303
1943#364284
1942#366274
1941#341287
1940#352260
1939#332277
1938#333280
1937#345247
1936#314291
1935#325281
1934#295336
1933#295321
1932#310311
1931#4,3315#321290
1930#330281
1929#344265
1928#326297
1927#322319
1926#338294
1925#327309
1924#322325
1923#319329
1922#338302
1921#5,0995#318334
1920#362272
1919#362253
1918#356266
1917#350255
1916#385205
1915#359224
1914#365168
1913#367129
1912#346119
1911#31474
1910#48033
1909#42834
1908#43830
1907#41730
1906#42427
1905#43025
1904#48220
1903#35330
1902#49019
1901#42220
1900#44626
1899#43818
1898#43521
1897#43819
1896#43820
1895#45619
1894#41920
1893#41919
1892#7489
1891#42717
1890#51114
1889#6739
1888#7049
1887#48813
1886#57811
1885#9365
1884#8486
1883#7207
1882#9435
1881
1880#6828
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 1964

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedMNIllinois: #379 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 5,281 boysILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedWIMichigan: #435 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 9,362 boysMINew York: #374 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 5,380 boysNYMassachusetts: #363 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 10,761 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedINOhio: #537 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 14,480 boysOHPennsylvania: #465 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 11,911 boysPANew Jersey: #363 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 6,168 boysNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #408 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 4,705 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedNEMissouri: #320 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 3,918 boysMOKentucky: #385 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 6,556 boysKYWest Virginia: #295 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 3,422 boysWVVirginia: #402 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 5,349 boysVAMaryland: #266 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,993 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: #291 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,954 boysNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #379 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 4,471 boysNCSouth Carolina: #399 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,427 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #239 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,016 boysDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #137 for boys · 59 births · 1 in 673 boysLAMississippi: #386 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,195 boysMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Lionel, so not publishedHITexas: #387 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 3,216 boysTXFlorida: #343 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 3,291 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Louisiana#137 · 1 in 673
  2. District of Columbia#239 · 1 in 2,016
  3. Maryland#266 · 1 in 2,993
  4. New Mexico#291 · 1 in 1,954
  5. West Virginia#295 · 1 in 3,422

Best ever in a state: #45 in New Hampshire, 1917.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Louisiana#137591 in 673
District of Columbia#23971 in 2,016
Maryland#266111 in 2,993
New Mexico#29161 in 1,954
West Virginia#29551 in 3,422
Missouri#320111 in 3,918
Florida#343161 in 3,291
Massachusetts#36351 in 10,761
New Jersey#363101 in 6,168
New York#374321 in 5,380
Illinois#379201 in 5,281
North Carolina#379111 in 4,471
Kentucky#38551 in 6,556
Mississippi#38661 in 4,195
Texas#387351 in 3,216
South Carolina#39961 in 4,427
Virginia#40281 in 5,349
California#408391 in 4,705
Michigan#43591 in 9,362
Pennsylvania#46591 in 11,911
Ohio#53771 in 14,480
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Maine
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
Washington
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
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s73#488 (1887)#730
1890s176#419 (1894)#473
1900s261#353 (1903)#433
1910s1,726#314 (1911)#368
1920s3,046#318 (1921)#332
1930s2,915#295 (1934)#320
1940s3,067#341 (1941)#358
1950s3,632#354 (1953)#381
1960s3,466#364 (1960)#425
1970s2,426#486 (1976)#521
1980s3,368#387 (1984)#481
1990s1,704#665 (1990)#847
2000s1,440#992 (2001)#1,129
2010s3,674#583 (2016)#699
2020s2,815#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 1964

boys
#421
368 births · 1 in 5,415 boys

Top boys' names in 1964

  1. #1Michael82,617
  2. #2John82,508
  3. #3David75,043
  4. #4James73,026
  5. #5Robert69,980
  6. #6Mark45,261
  7. #7William44,224
  8. #8Richard40,098
  9. #9Thomas34,463
  10. #10Jeffrey30,728
  11. #421Lionel368
More about 1964

boys

1,992,698 boys got a published name in 1964; 1 in 5,415 of them was named Lionel, which outranked 90.8% of the 4,594 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 29.0% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Lionel
  1. #418Noel372
  2. #418Ty372
  3. #420Tommie371
  4. #421Lionel368
  5. #421Oliver368
  6. #423Rod367
  7. #424Rory366
  8. #425Marco355

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1963
Risers
  1. 864Deron#1,548#684
  2. 653Cassius#1,513#860
  3. 392Kipp#1,215#823
  4. 363Fitzgerald#1,052#689
  5. 334Adrain#1,279#945
Fallers
  1. 286Farrell#886#1,172
  2. 283Tal#813#1,096
  3. 278Laura#921#1,199
  4. 272Pamela#947#1,219
  5. 270Huey#891#1,161

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1964