Lei
Lei is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname 雷 (Léi). It is the 69th name on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.
- Hawaiian
- Chinese
Meaning & Origin of Lei
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Lei is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname 雷 (Léi). It is the 69th name on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hawaiian
- Chinese
Origin & history
The Story of Lei
The earliest SSA record of Lei as a baby girl name dates back to 1937, when 7 babies received it. 1960 was its biggest year on record, with 25 newborns named Lei — #2,368 in the national rankings. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Leis. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 647 Leis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Lei
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lei is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lei
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About the name Lei
Lei is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1937 and has accumulated 647 births in the dataset. Lei's peak popularity came in 1960 when it ranked #2,368. Use the chart and map above to compare Lei's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1960 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.