Aleanna
A feminine name combining elements of Greek origin meaning "defender" and "sun ray".
Name Census estimates that about 185 living Americans carry the first name Aleanna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Aleanna today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aleanna births was 2011 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aleanna. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
185
~ 1 in 1,852,726 Americans
Peak year
2011
14 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,959
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Aleanna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aleanna from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 94 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Aleanna remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aleanna by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Aleanna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Aleannas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Aleanna
The name Aleanna is a feminine given name of uncertain origin, with roots potentially tracing back to several languages and cultural traditions. One theory suggests that it derives from the Greek name Aletheia, which means "truth" or "reality." Another possibility is that it has connections to the Hebrew name Aliyah, meaning "to ascend" or "to go up."
In some accounts, the name Aleanna is linked to the ancient Celtic cultures of Western Europe, particularly in regions like Ireland and Scotland. It may have evolved from the Gaelic word "aillean," which translates to "beautiful" or "fair." This connection would align with the name's melodic and aesthetically pleasing sound.
Historical records indicate that the name Aleanna has been in use since at least the 16th century, with mentions of individuals bearing this name appearing in various texts and documents from that era onward. One notable figure was Aleanna Browne, a 17th-century English poet and playwright born in 1619. Her works, though not widely known today, were influential in literary circles during her lifetime.
Another historical figure associated with the name Aleanna was Aleanna di Firenze, an Italian painter and fresco artist born in 1498. She was renowned for her vibrant and intricate religious works adorning churches throughout Florence and the surrounding regions.
In the 19th century, Aleanna Shelley, a British novelist and essayist born in 1822, gained recognition for her insightful social commentary and championing of women's rights. Her writings were considered progressive for the time and helped pave the way for future feminist movements.
Turning to the realm of politics, Aleanna Karamzin was a prominent Russian diplomat and stateswoman who lived from 1874 to 1942. She played a crucial role in negotiating several major treaties and was highly respected for her diplomatic skills and unwavering commitment to international cooperation.
Finally, in the field of science, Aleanna Curie, born in 1897, was a French physicist and chemist who made significant contributions to the study of radioactivity. She was the daughter of the renowned Marie Curie and followed in her mother's footsteps, becoming a pioneering figure in her own right.
People
Aleanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aleanna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Aleanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aleanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 185 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aleanna going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,852,726 US residents.
Is Aleanna a common name?
We classify Aleanna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 187 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aleanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Aleanna was 2011, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aleanna is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Aleanna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Aleanna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aleanna in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Aleanna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Aleanna in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Aleanna can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Aleanna?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.