Laeth
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "smooth" or "delicate".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Laeth. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Laeth today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Laeth births was 2016 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Laeth. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Laeth. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2016
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#13,382
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Laeth: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Laeth 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 Laeth during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Laeth
The name Laeth has its origins in ancient Aramaic, a Semitic language that was widely spoken in the Middle East during the first millennium BCE. It is derived from the Aramaic word "laith," which means "lion." This connection to the majestic feline likely stems from the name's use among the ancient Arameans, a group known for their bravery and warrior culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Laeth can be found in the biblical Book of Ezra, which mentions a man named Laeth who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity around 538 BCE. This suggests that the name was already in use among the Aramaic-speaking populations of the region during the 6th century BCE.
In the centuries that followed, the name Laeth remained popular among various Semitic peoples, including the Nabataeans, who inhabited parts of modern-day Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. Several inscriptions and historical records from the Nabataean kingdom, which flourished from the 4th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, mention individuals bearing the name Laeth.
During the early Islamic period, the name Laeth gained further prominence. One of the most notable historical figures with this name was Laeth ibn Nadhir, a renowned Arab poet who lived in the 7th century CE. His works, which celebrated the virtues of valor and chivalry, are considered among the finest examples of early Arabic literature.
Another important figure was Laeth ibn Bukair, a military commander who played a pivotal role in the Muslim conquest of Persia during the 7th century CE. His exploits and leadership were celebrated by medieval Arab historians, cementing his place in the annals of Islamic history.
In later centuries, the name Laeth continued to be used across the Middle East and North Africa, though its popularity waxed and waned over time. Notable bearers of the name include Laeth al-Numan, a 10th-century Arab poet and scholar from Baghdad, and Laeth ibn al-Muzaffar, a 13th-century ruler of the Hamdanid dynasty in Syria and northern Mesopotamia.
While the name Laeth has its roots in the ancient Semitic world, it has also found use in other cultural contexts over the centuries. For example, there are records of individuals named Laeth among the Berbers of North Africa, as well as in parts of the Caucasus region, where the name likely arrived through centuries of cultural exchange and migration.
People
Laeth + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Laeth as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Laeth: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Laeth?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Laeth 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Laeth a common name?
We classify Laeth as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Laeth most popular?
The single biggest year for Laeth was 2016, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Laeth is about 10 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 Laeth in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Laeth a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Laeth in the SSA data are male. 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 Laeth still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Laeth 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 Laeth 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 share the name Laeth?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.