Leianna
Feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "heaven's blessing".
Name Census estimates that about 812 living Americans carry the first name Leianna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Leianna today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Leianna births was 2017 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Leianna. 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
812
~ 1 in 422,111 Americans
Peak year
2017
43 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,238
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Leianna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Leianna from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 324 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Leianna remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Leianna 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 Leianna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Leiannas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Leianna, while Pennsylvania, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 22 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Leianna
The name Leianna is a relatively modern invention, having no clear linguistic or cultural origin. It appears to be a feminine variation of the masculine name Leian, which itself is likely derived from the Welsh name Llewelyn or Llywelyn. This ancient Celtic name means "lion-like" or "leader" and has its roots in the Welsh words "llyw" meaning leader and "llen" meaning lion.
While the name Llewelyn has a long and storied history dating back to the 6th century, with notable figures such as Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd in the 13th century, the feminine form Leianna is much more recent. It is believed to have emerged in the late 20th century, possibly as a creative combination of Leian and the popular suffix "-anna".
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Leianna can be found in the 1992 novel "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, where it is the name of a minor character. However, it is unclear if Bradley invented the name or drew inspiration from an existing source.
Throughout history, there are very few notable individuals with the first name Leianna, likely due to its modern origins. One of the earliest recorded instances is Leianna Blackwolf, an American fashion designer and entrepreneur born in 1965. Another is Leianna Swindell, a British actress born in 1986, known for her roles in various television series.
In the realm of literature, there is Leianna Jackson, an American author and poet born in 1972, known for her works exploring themes of identity and belonging. Additionally, Leianna Moss is the name of a fictional character in the 2007 novel "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson.
While the name Leianna may be relatively new and lacking in extensive historical references, it has gained popularity in recent decades, perhaps due to its unique and melodic sound. As with many modern names, its meaning and significance will continue to evolve with its use and the individuals who bear it.
People
Leianna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Leianna 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
Leianna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Leianna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 812 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Leianna 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 422,111 US residents.
Is Leianna a common name?
We classify Leianna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 823 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Leianna most popular?
The single biggest year for Leianna was 2017, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Leianna is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Leianna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Leianna 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.