Boy · #3,243 in 2026

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, security services and police forces.

Current Rank
#3,243
Peak Rank
#2,280 (1917)
Total Babies
199
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1912
First Year
1965
Last Year
1917
Peak Year
#2280
Peak Rank
199
Total Count
27
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Lieutenant

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, security services and police forces.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The word lieutenant derives from French ; the lieu meaning "place" as in a position ( cf. in lieu of ); and tenant meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is a placeholder for a superior, during their absence (compare the Latin locum tenens ). In the 19th century, British writers who considered this word either an imposition on the English language, or difficult for common soldiers and sailors, argued for it to be replaced by the calque "steadholder". However, their efforts failed, and the French word is still used, along with its many variations (e.g. lieutenant colo

The Story of Lieutenant

Lieutenant first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1912, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1917, when 12 Lieutenants were born — ranking #2,280 that year. As of 2026, Lieutenant ranks #3,243 for baby boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 199 Lieutenants have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Lieutenant

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

  • Lootenant
  • Lieutenants
  • Leutnant
  • Leftenant
  • Luminant
  • Lehtinen
  • Lieutenancy
  • Lehtonen
  • Lutanist
  • Cotenant
  • Litigant
  • Lutenist

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lieutenant

What does the name Lieutenant mean?
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, security services and police forces.
How popular is Lieutenant in 2026?
In 2026, Lieutenant ranks #3,243 among boys' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Lieutenant most popular?
Lieutenant reached its peak popularity in 1917, ranking #2,280 that year with 12 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Lieutenant most popular?
Lieutenant has historically been most popular in Mississippi. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Lieutenant.
Is Lieutenant a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Lieutenant is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Lieutenant?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Lieutenant include Dink, March, Council. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Dink
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👦
March
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👦
Council
Peak #2280
👦
Aubert
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👦
Solly
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👦
Elmond
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Urho
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Bartow
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About the name Lieutenant

Lieutenant is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 199 births in the dataset. Lieutenant's peak popularity came in 1917 when it ranked #2,280. Use the chart and map above to compare Lieutenant'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.