Lemmy
Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known as Lemmy, was an English musician. He was the founder, lead vocalist, bassist and primary songwriter of the rock band Motörhead, of which he was the only continuous member from 1975 to his death. Kilmister had previously been a member of Hawkwind from 1971 to 1975, before being sacked from that band.
Meaning & Origin of Lemmy
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known as Lemmy, was an English musician. He was the founder, lead vocalist, bassist and primary songwriter of the rock band Motörhead, of which he was the only continuous member from 1975 to his death. Kilmister had previously been a member of Hawkwind from 1971 to 1975, before being sacked from that band.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Lemmy
As a girl name
Lemmy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2016, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2020: 8 births, good for #11,085 nationwide. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 77% of all recorded Lemmys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2023 (7 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 26 Lemmys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Lemmy as a boy name dates back to 2011, when 5 babies received it. 2017 was its biggest year on record, with 15 newborns named Lemmy — #5,788 in the national rankings. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 53% of all recorded Lemmys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #6,414 among boy names with 13 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 123 Lemmys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Lemmy
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lemmy 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 Lemmy
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About the name Lemmy
Lemmy is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2011 and has accumulated 123 births in the dataset. Lemmy's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #5,788. Use the chart and map above to compare Lemmy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2017 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "L" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.