Lei
A feminine Japanese name meaning "truth", "grace", or "lovely".
Name Census estimates that about 549 living Americans carry the first name Lei. It is a predominantly female name (95.4% of registrations). The average person named Lei today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lei births was 1960 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lei. 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
549
~ 1 in 624,325 Americans
Peak year
1960
25 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2015 SSA rank
#11,541
Tracked since 1937
Gender
Gender distribution for Lei
Lei leans heavily female at 95.4% of total registrations, but 31 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Lei as a male name
- Ranked #11,541 in 2015
- 6 male births in 2015
- Peak: 2015 (6 births)
Lei as a female name
- Ranked #16,590 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1960 (25 births)
Popularity
Lei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lei from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 160 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lei 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 Lei during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Leis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lei
The name Lei has its origins in several languages and cultures across the world. In Chinese, the name Lei (雷) means "thunder" and is derived from the ancient Chinese word for the natural phenomenon. It has been a popular name for boys in China for centuries.
In Hawaiian culture, the name Lei (pronunced "lay") refers to a garland or wreath of flowers that is worn around the neck or head. It is a symbol of love, celebration, and hospitality in Hawaiian tradition. The name has been used for both boys and girls in Hawaii.
In Portuguese, the name Lei is a shortened form of the name Leila, which is derived from the Arabic name Layla, meaning "night." The name Lei has been used for girls in Portugal and Brazil.
In Japanese, the name Lei (レイ) is a transliteration of the English name "Ray" or "Rae." It has been adopted as a unisex name in Japan, particularly in recent decades.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Lei:
1. Lei Zhenlong (1768-1809), a Chinese scholar and writer during the Qing Dynasty.
2. Lei Feng (1940-1962), a Chinese soldier revered as a model of selflessness and dedication in Communist propaganda.
3. Lei Tinghui (born 1983), a Chinese professional tennis player and former world No. 1 in doubles.
4. Lei Qiong (born 1981), a Chinese professional golfer who has won multiple tournaments on the Ladies European Tour.
5. Lei Sheng (born 1990), a Chinese actor and singer known for his roles in television dramas and movies.
While the name Lei has diverse origins and meanings across cultures, it has been embraced and celebrated for its unique sound and significance in various parts of the world.
People
Lei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lei 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
Lei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 549 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lei 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 624,325 US residents.
Is Lei a common name?
We classify Lei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 678 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lei most popular?
The single biggest year for Lei was 1960, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lei is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lei a female name?
Yes, 95.4% of people registered as Lei 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.
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.