Lion
Boy name · #3194 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Lion? In official American birth records, Lion has been tracked continuously since 1922, giving it 103 years of documented American history.
Lion is currently the #3194 boy name in the United States — 37 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #4179, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 48,649 boys born in 2025 was named Lion.
Babies named Lion per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 103-year story
Lion first appears in the Social Security records in 1922, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 43 babies and a rank of #2919. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Lion against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lion in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lion is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Lion will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Lion is most common
State-level data for Lion is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Lion
Statistically, parents drawn to Lion tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sion, Xion, Lyon, Kayvion, and Champion.
SionXionLyonKayvionChampionAvionAzarionKion
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lion | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #3181 |
| 2024 | 31 | #3605 |
| 2023 | 41 | #3005 |
| 2022 | 43 | #2919 |
| 2021 | 24 | #4247 |
| 2020 | 23 | #4275 |
| 2019 | 32 | #3496 |
| 2018 | 28 | #3793 |
| 2017 | 29 | #3678 |
| 2016 | 18 | #5124 |
| 2015 | 24 | #4179 |
| 2014 | 18 | #5066 |
| 2013 | 13 | #6241 |
| 2012 | 8 | #8864 |
| 2011 | 8 | #8767 |
| 2010 | 10 | #7591 |
| 2009 | 5 | #12491 |
| 2008 | 14 | #6070 |
| 2007 | 5 | #12367 |
| 2005 | 8 | #8299 |
| 1999 | 5 | #9912 |
| 1995 | 5 | #8868 |
| 1994 | 7 | #6968 |
| 1993 | 6 | #7638 |
| 1922 | 6 | #3872 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Lion?
In official American birth records, the name Lion first appeared in 1922 (over 103 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 103 years.
Is Lion a popular boy name?
Lion ranked #3194 among boys in 2025 with 37 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4179.
When was the name Lion most popular?
Lion peaked in 2022, when 43 American boys received the name (ranked #2919 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Lion?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 48,649 newborn American boys was named Lion. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.