Leam
A unique name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the word "learn".
Name Census estimates that about 335 living Americans carry the first name Leam. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Leam today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Leam births was 2024 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Leam. 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
335
~ 1 in 1,023,147 Americans
Peak year
2024
41 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,015
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Leam: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Leam 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 186 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Leam remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Leam 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 Leam during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Leams live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Florida, Texas, California recorded the most babies named Leam, while New York, California, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Leam
The given name Leam has its origins in the ancient Celtic languages, where it was derived from the Proto-Celtic word "lemos," which meant "elm tree." This suggests that the name has roots in the British Isles and was likely first used by the ancient Celtic tribes that inhabited those regions during the Iron Age and Roman eras.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Leam can be traced back to medieval times, when it appeared in various forms in old Irish and Welsh texts. In the 9th century, an Irish warrior named Leam mac Duib is mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, a historical record of events in medieval Ireland.
In the 12th century, a Welsh poet named Leam Ddu is noted in the Book of Aneirin, a collection of early medieval Welsh poetry. This suggests that the name was in use among both Irish and Welsh populations during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Leam was a 14th-century Irish chieftain named Leam Ó Cuinneagáin, who ruled over a territory in what is now County Longford, Ireland. His descendants continued to use the name for several generations.
In the 16th century, a Scottish nobleman named Leam MacGregor was a prominent figure in the clan wars that took place in the Scottish Highlands. He was known for his bravery in battle and his loyalty to the MacGregor clan.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Leam was a 17th-century English poet and playwright named Leam Michaelson. Although his works are largely forgotten today, he was a popular figure in literary circles during his lifetime.
Throughout history, the name Leam has remained relatively uncommon, but it has been borne by individuals from various backgrounds and parts of the world. Despite its Celtic roots, the name has been adopted and used in other cultures and languages over time.
People
Leam + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Leam 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
Leam: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leam?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 335 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Leam 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 1,023,147 US residents.
Is Leam a common name?
We classify Leam as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 337 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Leam most popular?
The single biggest year for Leam was 2024, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Leam is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Leam a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Leam 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.
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.