Lejeune
A French masculine name derived from the Latin words "letus" and "juvenis", meaning "cheerful youth".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Lejeune. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 54.5% of registrations being female. The average person named Lejeune today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lejeune births was 1961 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lejeune. 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 Lejeune. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1961
6 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1921 SSA rank
#4,690
Tracked since 1921
Gender
Gender distribution for Lejeune
Lejeune is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 11 total registrations, 5 (45.5%) were male and 6 (54.5%) were female.
Lejeune as a male name
- Ranked #4,690 in 1921
- 5 male births in 1921
- Peak: 1921 (5 births)
Lejeune as a female name
- Ranked #6,240 in 1961
- 6 female births in 1961
- Peak: 1961 (6 births)
Popularity
Lejeune: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lejeune from the 1920s through to the 1960s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lejeune 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 Lejeune 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 Lejeune
The name Lejeune has its origins in the French language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "jeune," which means "young." The prefix "le" was often added to French adjectives to form nouns, so "Lejeune" essentially means "the young one."
In medieval France, the name Lejeune was likely used as a descriptive nickname or surname for a young person or the youngest son in a family. Over time, it transitioned into a given name in its own right. The earliest recorded instances of the name Lejeune date back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various French historical records and documents.
While the name does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it was undoubtedly influenced by the French language's Latin roots. The Latin word "juvenis" also means "young," and the name may have been indirectly influenced by this linguistic connection.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Lejeune was Jean Lejeune (1592-1672), a French poet and dramatist who lived during the Renaissance period. He was known for his religious and moral plays, as well as his contributions to the development of French classical drama.
Another historically significant figure was Paul Lejeune (1663-1719), a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to New France (now Canada) in the late 17th century. He played a crucial role in establishing Catholic missions among the indigenous populations and documented his experiences in detailed accounts that provided valuable insights into the lives of the Native Americans at that time.
In the 19th century, Louis François Lejeune (1775-1848) was a prominent French painter and engraver who specialized in military scenes and portraiture. He was appointed as an official artist for Napoleon's campaigns and his works captured many significant events and battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
One of the most famous individuals with the name Lejeune was the French author and philosopher Maxime Lejeune (1882-1963). He was a leading figure in the existentialist movement and wrote extensively on topics such as freedom, responsibility, and the human condition. His works, including "Being and Nothingness" and "Existentialism is a Humanism," had a profound impact on 20th-century philosophy.
Another notable figure was Edith Lejeune (1904-1997), a French actress and singer who enjoyed a successful career in film, theater, and cabaret during the early to mid-20th century. She was particularly renowned for her performances in French operettas and musicals.
People
Lejeune + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lejeune 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
Lejeune: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lejeune?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lejeune 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 Lejeune a common name?
We classify Lejeune 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, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lejeune most popular?
The single biggest year for Lejeune was 1961, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lejeune is about 64 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 Lejeune in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lejeune a female name?
Yes, 54.5% of people registered as Lejeune 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.
Is Lejeune still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lejeune 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 Lejeune 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 are called Lejeune?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.