Leona
Girl name · #429 in 2025 · Uniqueness 49/100
Leona ranks #429 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 723 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #680, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,490 girls born in 2025 was named Leona.
Babies named Leona per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Leona first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 137 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 3,335 girls were named Leona — good for #79 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Leona against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Leona in class?
Leona scores 49 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Leona is most common
Geography matters for names, and Leona is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Leonas were CA (76), FL (45), TX (45), PA (42), NY (38). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Leona
Statistically, parents drawn to Leona tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lena, Della, Luella, Lenora, and Flora.
LenaDellaLuellaLenoraFloraEstellaLolaLeora
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Leona | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 723 | #429 |
| 2024 | 629 | #487 |
| 2023 | 586 | #520 |
| 2022 | 585 | #531 |
| 2021 | 600 | #515 |
| 2020 | 634 | #483 |
| 2019 | 616 | #510 |
| 2018 | 611 | #508 |
| 2017 | 565 | #547 |
| 2016 | 507 | #595 |
| 2015 | 419 | #680 |
| 2014 | 379 | #739 |
| 2013 | 374 | #730 |
| 2012 | 287 | #910 |
| 2011 | 283 | #918 |
| 2010 | 256 | #988 |
| 2009 | 274 | #969 |
| 2008 | 237 | #1097 |
| 2007 | 152 | #1517 |
| 2006 | 144 | #1522 |
| 2005 | 139 | #1500 |
| 2004 | 134 | #1498 |
| 2003 | 104 | #1802 |
| 2002 | 105 | #1732 |
| 2001 | 90 | #1922 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Leona a popular girl name?
Leona ranked #429 among girls in 2025 with 723 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #680.
When was the name Leona most popular?
Leona peaked in 1918, when 3,335 American girls received the name (ranked #79 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Leona?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,490 newborn American girls was named Leona. It scores 49/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.