Boy · #7,285 in 2026

Lief

Name: Popularity of the name Lief in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Lief, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#7,285

Peak Rank

#5,317 (1999)

Total Babies

279

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1948

First Year

2023

Last Year

1999

Peak Year

#5317

Peak Rank

279

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Lief

The earliest SSA record of Lief as a baby boy name dates back to 1948, when 6 babies received it. 1999 was its biggest year on record, with 12 newborns named Lief — #5,317 in the national rankings. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 24% of all recorded Liefs. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2023 (11 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 279 Liefs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Lief

Phonetically similar names — useful when Lief is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Leaf
Lif
Leif
Leef
Life
Laugh
Loaf
Lofe
Lef
Laff
Luff
Loof

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lief

What does the name Lief mean?

Lief is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1948. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Lief in 2026?

In 2026, Lief ranks #7,285 among boys' names in the U.S., with 11 babies given the name that year.

When was Lief most popular?

Lief reached its peak popularity in 1999, ranking #5,317 that year with 12 babies given the name.

Is Lief a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Lief is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Lief?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Lief include Tomi, Larri, Kendle. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Lief

Lief is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1948 and has accumulated 279 births in the dataset. Lief's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #5,317. Use the chart and map above to compare Lief's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.