Leiann
A feminine name derived from the French combination "Leigh Ann", meaning "meadow meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 219 living Americans carry the first name Leiann. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Leiann today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Leiann births was 1969 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Leiann. 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
219
~ 1 in 1,565,088 Americans
Peak year
1969
12 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2022 SSA rank
#16,666
Tracked since 1956
Popularity
Leiann: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Leiann from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 83 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
Leiann 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 Leiann during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Leiann
The name Leiann has its origins in the Hawaiian language and culture. It is a feminine name that is believed to have been derived from the Hawaiian word "lei," which refers to a traditional Hawaiian garland of flowers worn around the neck or head. The name likely emerged in the late 18th or early 19th century, during the period when Hawaii was first being explored and documented by European explorers and missionaries.
In Hawaiian culture, the act of giving and receiving leis is a symbol of love, respect, and welcoming. Leis are often presented as a gesture of affection or as a way to honor someone. The name Leiann may have been given to children to represent the beauty, fragrance, and significance of the lei in Hawaiian traditions.
While there are no known historical references to the name Leiann in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to be a relatively modern name that gained popularity in the 20th century, particularly in Hawaii and other parts of the United States.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Leiann is Leiann Lo, a Hawaiian actress and model born in 1964. She is known for her roles in television shows and films such as "Jake and the Fatman" and "Quantum Leap."
Another notable figure with the name Leiann is Leiann Bethune, an American actress and producer born in 1978. She has appeared in various television shows and films, including "Dexter" and "Criminal Minds."
Leiann Drummond, born in 1967, is an American actress and singer who has performed on Broadway and in various regional theater productions.
Leiann Parker, born in 1974, is an American writer and poet who has published several collections of poetry and received numerous literary awards.
Leiann Hiton, born in 1980, is an American artist and sculptor known for her abstract and contemporary works, which have been exhibited in galleries across the United States.
While the name Leiann is not among the most common given names, it holds a unique and meaningful connection to Hawaiian culture and traditions, representing the beauty and significance of the lei in Hawaiian society.
People
Leiann + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Leiann 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
Leiann: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leiann?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 219 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Leiann 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 1,565,088 US residents.
Is Leiann a common name?
We classify Leiann as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 246 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Leiann most popular?
The single biggest year for Leiann was 1969, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Leiann is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Leiann a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Leiann 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.