Leif
Scandinavian name from Old Norse Leifr, meaning "heir" or "descendant." It belonged to the Norse explorer Leif Erikson.
Leif in 2025
Leif was given to 257 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,878th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 12,900 babies born.
The history of Leif
Leif reached its highest point in 2022, when 290 babies were given the name, ranking 1,745th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 1,464th, in 1979.
Across the 114 years of records since 1912, 10,002 babies have been named Leif. Half of them were born before 1998, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Leif by decade
| Decade | Babies named Leif | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 127 | 3,008 |
| 1920s | 126 | 3,979 |
| 1930s | 111 | 3,198 |
| 1940s | 196 | 2,550 |
| 1950s | 442 | 2,263 |
| 1960s | 886 | 1,549 |
| 1970s | 1,158 | 1,464 |
| 1980s | 1,236 | 1,533 |
| 1990s | 878 | 2,622 |
| 2000s | 1,329 | 2,415 |
| 2010s | 1,971 | 2,077 |
| 2020s | 1,542 | 1,745 |
Where Leif is heading
Leif has risen 37% over the past decade, from 187 babies in 2015 to 257 in 2025.
Names like Leif
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Leif.