Lenda
A feminine name of unknown origin, potentially derived from Latin or Portuguese.
Name Census estimates that about 508 living Americans carry the first name Lenda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lenda today is around 72 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lenda births was 1947 (54 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lenda. 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 Lenda is about 72 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Lendas were born before 1964.
People living today
508
~ 1 in 674,713 Americans
Peak year
1947
54 babies that year
Average age
72
years old
1996 SSA rank
#12,768
Tracked since 1917
Census
Lenda in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 923 people with the first name Lenda, which placed it at #13,172 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#13,172
National first-name rank
People counted
923
923 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
59.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lenda
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Lenda is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (9.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Lenda described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Lenda at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.6% · 550
- Black or African American22.8% · 210
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 91
- Two or more races4.4% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 6
Popularity
Lenda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lenda from the 1910s through to the 1990s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 373 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lenda 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 Lenda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lendas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Texas, California, Tennessee recorded the most babies named Lenda, while Missouri, Georgia, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lenda
The name Lenda is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages dating back to around 3500 BC. While its exact etymology is uncertain, some scholars suggest it may be derived from the Sumerian word "lenda," which means "beautiful" or "radiant."
In ancient Sumerian culture, names were often chosen to reflect desired qualities or aspirations for the child. The name Lenda may have been bestowed upon newborns as a wish for them to possess beauty, grace, or a radiant personality.
Early historical records mentioning the name Lenda are scarce, but it is believed to have been in use among the Sumerian people and possibly other ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. As these cultures were greatly influenced by Sumerian language and traditions, the name may have spread to neighboring regions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Lenda is a Sumerian priestess who lived around 2500 BC. She is mentioned in cuneiform inscriptions found in the ancient city of Ur, where she served in the temple dedicated to the moon goddess Nanna.
In the 6th century BC, there is a record of a woman named Lenda who was a skilled weaver in the Persian city of Susa. Her exceptional craftsmanship was noted in historical accounts, and some of her intricate tapestries were reportedly displayed in the royal palace.
During the Byzantine Empire, a noblewoman named Lenda lived in the 10th century AD. She was renowned for her charitable works and founded a hospice in Constantinople to care for the sick and destitute.
In the 12th century, a Mongolian warrior named Lenda was part of Genghis Khan's military campaigns. Historical chronicles describe his bravery and skill in battle, earning him a reputation as one of Khan's most trusted commanders.
In the 16th century, there was a renowned Italian artist named Lenda who specialized in fresco painting. Her vibrant and detailed works adorned churches and palaces throughout northern Italy, showcasing her mastery of color and composition.
While the name Lenda has been used across various cultures and time periods, its ancient Sumerian roots and connection to beauty and radiance have remained a consistent theme throughout its history.
People
Lenda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lenda 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
Lenda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lenda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 508 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lenda 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 674,713 US residents.
Is Lenda a common name?
We classify Lenda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 872 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lenda most popular?
The single biggest year for Lenda was 1947, when 54 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lenda is about 72 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Lenda in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 923 people with the name Lenda, or 0.31 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #13,172 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Lenda in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Lenda?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Lenda appears almost entirely female. Of the 915 people counted with this name, 99.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Lenda?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Lenda is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (9.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Lenda most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Lenda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.6% (550 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Lenda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lenda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lenda 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 Lenda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lenda 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 Lenda 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.
How many people have Lenda as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.