Lionel
Old French diminutive of lion, so little lion. It belongs to one of Arthur's knights in the medieval romances.
Lionel in 2025
Lionel was given to 419 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,333rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 7,913 babies born.
The history of Lionel
Lionel reached its highest point in 2023, when 609 babies were given the name, ranking 1,003rd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 631st, in 1934.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 33,833 babies have been named Lionel. Half of them were born before 1964, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Lionel by decade
| Decade | Babies named Lionel | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 73 | 1,130 |
| 1890s | 176 | 1,083 |
| 1900s | 261 | 945 |
| 1910s | 1,726 | 745 |
| 1920s | 3,051 | 681 |
| 1930s | 2,920 | 631 |
| 1940s | 3,067 | 734 |
| 1950s | 3,637 | 769 |
| 1960s | 3,466 | 803 |
| 1970s | 2,426 | 1,083 |
| 1980s | 3,397 | 840 |
| 1990s | 1,704 | 1,491 |
| 2000s | 1,440 | 2,235 |
| 2010s | 3,674 | 1,205 |
| 2020s | 2,815 | 1,003 |
Where Lionel is heading
Lionel has held roughly steady over the past decade, from 405 babies in 2015 to 419 in 2025.
Names like Lionel
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Lionel.