Leonel
Boy name · #350 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Leonel? In official American birth records, Leonel has been tracked continuously since 1910, giving it 115 years of documented American history.
Leonel is currently the #350 boy name in the United States — 942 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #389, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,911 boys born in 2025 was named Leonel.
The 115-year story
Leonel first appears in the Social Security records in 1910, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 1,084 babies and a rank of #317. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Babies named Leonel per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Leonel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Leonel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Leonel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Leonel is most common
Geography matters for names, and Leonel is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Leonel is most common in AZ (1.8 per 1,000), TX (1.4 per 1,000), CA (1.3 per 1,000), NV (1 per 1,000), CO (0.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Leonel is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Leonel
Statistically, parents drawn to Leonel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lionel, Ezequiel, Raphael, Ismael, and Dariel.
LionelEzequielRaphaelIsmaelDarielLawsonShmuelKhalil
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Leonel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 942 | #350 |
| 2024 | 1,084 | #317 |
| 2023 | 1,075 | #308 |
| 2022 | 1,032 | #327 |
| 2021 | 868 | #373 |
| 2020 | 929 | #345 |
| 2019 | 972 | #346 |
| 2018 | 923 | #358 |
| 2017 | 903 | #365 |
| 2016 | 891 | #373 |
| 2015 | 821 | #389 |
| 2014 | 709 | #430 |
| 2013 | 606 | #463 |
| 2012 | 618 | #445 |
| 2011 | 581 | #460 |
| 2010 | 594 | #451 |
| 2009 | 578 | #473 |
| 2008 | 572 | #484 |
| 2007 | 556 | #481 |
| 2006 | 578 | #465 |
| 2005 | 633 | #422 |
| 2004 | 535 | #471 |
| 2003 | 447 | #524 |
| 2002 | 407 | #545 |
| 2001 | 410 | #533 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Leonel?
In official American birth records, the name Leonel first appeared in 1910 (over 115 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 115 years.
Is Leonel a popular boy name?
Leonel ranked #350 among boys in 2025 with 942 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #389.
When was the name Leonel most popular?
Leonel peaked in 2024, when 1,084 American boys received the name (ranked #317 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Leonel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,911 newborn American boys was named Leonel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.