Lempi
A Finnish feminine name meaning "affection" or "love".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Lempi. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lempi today is around 115 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lempi births was 1915 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lempi. 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
- • The typical person named Lempi is about 115 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Lempis were born before 1921.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lempi. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1915
23 babies that year
Average age
115
years old
1927 SSA rank
#4,090
Tracked since 1893
Popularity
Lempi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lempi from the 1890s through to the 1920s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 143 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Lempi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lempi 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 Lempi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lempis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lempi
The given name Lempi has its origins in Finnish culture and language. It is derived from the Finnish word "lempi", which means "love" or "beloved". The name dates back to the early 19th century when it first started gaining popularity in Finland.
Lempi is believed to have been inspired by the Finnish word "lemmikki", which means "pet" or "darling". This word was often used as a term of endearment, and it is likely that the name Lempi was derived from it as a way to express love and affection.
In Finnish folklore and mythology, Lempi was also the name of the goddess of love and beauty. She was often depicted as a beautiful maiden with a wreath of flowers in her hair, symbolizing the beauty and joy of love.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Lempi can be found in the Finnish national epic, Kalevala, which was compiled in the 19th century from traditional folk poetry. The name appears in several poems and stories within the epic, further cementing its cultural significance.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Lempi. One of the most famous was Lempi Lehtonen (1893-1972), a Finnish painter and graphic artist known for her vibrant landscapes and still-life paintings. Another was Lempi Jääskeläinen (1880-1971), a Finnish author and playwright who wrote extensively about rural life and the struggles of working-class women.
In the realm of politics, Lempi Prusti (1877-1962) was a Finnish feminist and politician who fought for women's rights and played a significant role in the struggle for Finnish independence. Additionally, Lempi Liljeroos (1892-1979) was a Finnish athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, where she won a silver medal in the women's javelin throw event.
Lastly, Lempi Lounasmeri (1888-1964) was a Finnish writer and translator who made significant contributions to Finnish literature by translating works from various languages, including Russian, Swedish, and English.
People
Lempi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lempi 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
Lempi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lempi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lempi 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Lempi a common name?
We classify Lempi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 367 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lempi most popular?
The single biggest year for Lempi was 1915, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lempi is about 115 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 Lempi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lempi a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lempi 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 Lempi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lempi 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 Lempi 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 Lempi?
You can see how many people have the name Lempi on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.