Meaning not yet researched.
Lee: US boys given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 366 in 2025. Its best rank was #39 in 1900.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #39 in 1900; #727 in 2025. About 95% of babies named Lee in 2025 were boys.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#727 for US boys in 2025. Its best year was 1900, at #39.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Lee: US boys and girls given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 366 boys in 2025. Peak: #39 in 1900 · most boys in one year: 3,682 (1951).
In 2025, 366 US boys were named Lee, making it the 727th most common boys’ name of the year, down 11 places from #716 in 2024. That is 4 fewer than the 370 boys named Lee in 2024. Its best rank for boys was #39, reached in 1900. The most boys given the name in a single year was 3,682, in 1951. For comparison, it was #678 in 2015 and #91 in 1950.
In 2025, 21 US girls were named Lee, making it the 5,832nd most common girls’ name of the year, down 602 places from #5,230 in 2024. That is 4 fewer than the 25 girls named Lee in 2024. Its best rank for girls was #183, reached in 1955. The most girls given the name in a single year was 1,937, in 1956. For comparison, it was #5,585 in 2015 and #268 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Lee in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 389 babies with the name. In all, 295,926 US babies have been given the name, 21% of them girls and 79% boys. Its busiest decade was the 1950s, with 49,687 babies named Lee.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 3,591 US boys were named Lee; the busiest of those years was 2016, with 390. In 2025 that was about 1 in 4,667 of the boys in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Lee ranked highest in Iowa in 2025, at #285 for boys there. It was not in the top 100 of any state. Related spellings in the SSA files include Leo (262,124 babies since 1880), Leah (256,954 babies since 1880), Lea (34,468 babies since 1880) and Lia (28,516 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Le, Lei and Leea are summarised on this page.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Rare spellings summarised here: Le (1,653), Lei (683), Leea (678), Leeya (524), Ly (399), Li (382), Lio (371), Lehi (357), Leha (54), Leoh (38), Leeo (15), Lieu (12), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
US boys. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five boys got the name, so 23 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 14 | #285 | #618 |
| Pennsylvania | 26 | #410 | #498 |
| Indiana | 15 | #471 | #606 |
| Arkansas | 7 | #472 | #603 |
| Nebraska | 5 | #475 | — |
| Kansas | 7 | #500 | #494 |
| Wisconsin | 10 | #505 | #469 |
| Washington | 13 | #554 | — |
| Kentucky | 8 | #554 | #656 |
| Tennessee | 13 | #574 | #614 |
| Virginia | 12 | #611 | #566 |
| Minnesota | 8 | #616 | #416 |
| Louisiana | 7 | #640 | #907 |
| Ohio | 14 | #660 | #677 |
| Alabama | 7 | #660 | — |
| Illinois | 14 | #668 | #664 |
| Oklahoma | 6 | #670 | #674 |
| Missouri | 8 | #693 | #549 |
| South Carolina | 6 | #711 | #511 |
| North Carolina | 12 | #748 | #801 |
| Michigan | 10 | #750 | #617 |
| New York | 19 | #759 | #818 |
| Colorado | 6 | #813 | #746 |
| Texas | 30 | #869 | #530 |
| Florida | 14 | #989 | #1,069 |
| Georgia | 8 | #1,052 | #819 |
| California | 20 | #1,068 | #887 |
| New Jersey | 5 | #1,121 | — |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21 | #5,832 | 366 | #727 |
| 2024 | 25 | #5,230 | 370 | #716 |
| 2023 | 24 | #5,325 | 377 | #705 |
| 2022 | 26 | #5,105 | 379 | #698 |
| 2021 | 15 | #7,495 | 378 | #700 |
| 2020 | 28 | #4,705 | 313 | #769 |
| 2019 | 20 | #6,094 | 297 | #783 |
| 2018 | 26 | #5,090 | 352 | #690 |
| 2017 | 21 | #5,949 | 369 | #681 |
| 2016 | 33 | #4,398 | 390 | #664 |
| 2015 | 24 | #5,585 | 375 | #678 |
| 2014 | 23 | #5,727 | 350 | #703 |
| 2013 | 29 | #4,833 | 361 | #668 |
| 2012 | 22 | #6,025 | 357 | #663 |
| 2011 | 20 | #6,467 | 353 | #670 |
| 2010 | 31 | #4,682 | 353 | #676 |
| 2009 | 29 | #5,026 | 374 | #658 |
| 2008 | 17 | #7,598 | 361 | #671 |
| 2007 | 22 | #6,217 | 382 | #638 |
| 2006 | 29 | #4,898 | 391 | #610 |
| 2005 | 22 | #5,702 | 384 | #590 |
| 2004 | 43 | #3,469 | 412 | #557 |
| 2003 | 43 | #3,396 | 403 | #557 |
| 2002 | 42 | #3,310 | 439 | #517 |
| 2001 | 56 | #2,681 | 513 | #464 |
| 2000 | 67 | #2,322 | 502 | #469 |
| 1999 | 81 | #1,949 | 510 | #449 |
| 1998 | 87 | #1,796 | 607 | #404 |
| 1997 | 72 | #1,997 | 615 | #388 |
| 1996 | 94 | #1,633 | 721 | #343 |
| 1995 | 102 | #1,527 | 774 | #330 |
| 1994 | 125 | #1,343 | 917 | #297 |
| 1993 | 159 | #1,126 | 989 | #284 |
| 1992 | 156 | #1,136 | 1,128 | #255 |
| 1991 | 162 | #1,111 | 1,300 | #229 |
| 1990 | 197 | #956 | 1,450 | #213 |
| 1989 | 232 | #819 | 1,545 | #188 |
| 1988 | 269 | #707 | 1,785 | #156 |
| 1987 | 243 | #746 | 1,811 | #154 |
| 1986 | 286 | #646 | 1,932 | #145 |
| 1985 | 310 | #610 | 2,005 | #142 |
| 1984 | 360 | #533 | 2,164 | #124 |
| 1983 | 373 | #513 | 1,917 | #138 |
| 1982 | 485 | #444 | 2,205 | #123 |
| 1981 | 532 | #414 | 2,215 | #123 |
| 1980 | 652 | #364 | 2,209 | #125 |
| 1979 | 622 | #363 | 2,078 | #129 |
| 1978 | 490 | #413 | 1,980 | #133 |
| 1977 | 561 | #377 | 2,014 | #133 |
| 1976 | 532 | #386 | 1,873 | #138 |
| 1975 | 585 | #360 | 1,858 | #137 |
| 1974 | 608 | #356 | 2,115 | #124 |
| 1973 | 658 | #336 | 2,106 | #123 |
| 1972 | 691 | #333 | 2,260 | #125 |
| 1971 | 873 | #308 | 2,472 | #128 |
| 1970 | 970 | #298 | 2,790 | #118 |
| 1969 | 1,134 | #257 | 2,762 | #118 |
| 1968 | 1,160 | #239 | 2,868 | #106 |
| 1967 | 1,140 | #248 | 2,960 | #103 |
| 1966 | 1,211 | #241 | 2,965 | #106 |
| 1965 | 1,300 | #237 | 2,772 | #117 |
| 1964 | 1,272 | #248 | 3,037 | #117 |
| 1963 | 1,479 | #225 | 3,016 | #119 |
| 1962 | 1,380 | #233 | 3,263 | #115 |
| 1961 | 1,493 | #222 | 3,127 | #122 |
| 1960 | 1,531 | #218 | 3,430 | #116 |
| 1959 | 1,549 | #213 | 3,509 | #115 |
| 1958 | 1,696 | #200 | 3,514 | #114 |
| 1957 | 1,834 | #192 | 3,588 | #105 |
| 1956 | 1,937 | #184 | 3,511 | #104 |
| 1955 | 1,816 | #183 | 3,607 | #96 |
| 1954 | 1,357 | #216 | 3,566 | #96 |
| 1953 | 1,015 | #255 | 3,583 | #93 |
| 1952 | 948 | #256 | 3,655 | #92 |
| 1951 | 891 | #259 | 3,682 | #92 |
| 1950 | 818 | #268 | 3,611 | #91 |
| 1949 | 818 | #270 | 3,562 | #93 |
| 1948 | 842 | #264 | 3,445 | #93 |
| 1947 | 857 | #254 | 3,676 | #92 |
| 1946 | 807 | #248 | 3,346 | #91 |
| 1945 | 687 | #257 | 2,942 | #87 |
| 1944 | 600 | #280 | 2,929 | #85 |
| 1943 | 597 | #285 | 2,789 | #91 |
| 1942 | 583 | #282 | 2,923 | #87 |
| 1941 | 520 | #283 | 2,742 | #81 |
| 1940 | 492 | #283 | 2,624 | #80 |
| 1939 | 477 | #286 | 2,589 | #78 |
| 1938 | 450 | #296 | 2,575 | #80 |
| 1937 | 438 | #298 | 2,499 | #78 |
| 1936 | 439 | #292 | 2,418 | #76 |
| 1935 | 474 | #280 | 2,426 | #80 |
| 1934 | 422 | #307 | 2,378 | #79 |
| 1933 | 403 | #311 | 2,301 | #79 |
| 1932 | 457 | #293 | 2,284 | #86 |
| 1931 | 446 | #302 | 2,123 | #90 |
| 1930 | 465 | #308 | 2,361 | #82 |
| 1929 | 474 | #308 | 2,209 | #85 |
| 1928 | 513 | #291 | 2,282 | #87 |
| 1927 | 490 | #302 | 2,390 | #86 |
| 1926 | 542 | #285 | 2,313 | #85 |
| 1925 | 531 | #292 | 2,537 | #82 |
| 1924 | 488 | #303 | 2,420 | #83 |
| 1923 | 494 | #290 | 2,359 | #85 |
| 1922 | 496 | #291 | 2,371 | #83 |
| 1921 | 459 | #303 | 2,354 | #86 |
| 1920 | 543 | #281 | 2,321 | #82 |
| 1919 | 484 | #289 | 2,189 | #82 |
| 1918 | 507 | #281 | 2,159 | #86 |
| 1917 | 479 | #282 | 2,004 | #85 |
| 1916 | 475 | #275 | 2,016 | #83 |
| 1915 | 445 | #279 | 1,916 | #84 |
| 1914 | 405 | #255 | 1,451 | #84 |
| 1913 | 294 | #272 | 1,228 | #78 |
| 1912 | 312 | #253 | 1,030 | #78 |
| 1911 | 258 | #245 | 646 | #67 |
| 1910 | 224 | #256 | 741 | #49 |
| 1909 | 196 | #258 | 584 | #52 |
| 1908 | 197 | #246 | 553 | #51 |
| 1907 | 192 | #245 | 516 | #54 |
| 1906 | 150 | #272 | 436 | #58 |
| 1905 | 165 | #253 | 486 | #49 |
| 1904 | 139 | #267 | 532 | #45 |
| 1903 | 110 | #298 | 477 | #45 |
| 1902 | 134 | #269 | 475 | #46 |
| 1901 | 95 | #305 | 424 | #45 |
| 1900 | 138 | #278 | 675 | #39 |
| 1899 | 94 | #308 | 388 | #50 |
| 1898 | 111 | #293 | 498 | #46 |
| 1897 | 97 | #293 | 453 | #47 |
| 1896 | 73 | #341 | 455 | #48 |
| 1895 | 98 | #283 | 478 | #47 |
| 1894 | 83 | #305 | 455 | #45 |
| 1893 | 66 | #332 | 445 | #46 |
| 1892 | 68 | #326 | 460 | #46 |
| 1891 | 68 | #305 | 342 | #52 |
| 1890 | 58 | #333 | 410 | #44 |
| 1889 | 77 | #272 | 415 | #46 |
| 1888 | 61 | #305 | 430 | #48 |
| 1887 | 60 | #273 | 400 | #44 |
| 1886 | 37 | #354 | 399 | #47 |
| 1885 | 46 | #295 | 348 | #50 |
| 1884 | 48 | #277 | 435 | #43 |
| 1883 | 55 | #241 | 388 | #43 |
| 1882 | 43 | #266 | 427 | #41 |
| 1881 | 39 | #259 | 342 | #44 |
| 1880 | 28 | #300 | 361 | #43 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).